ARTICLE Draw for the Final: Nadal Gets the Nod
Draw from Seville:
Friday 3 December - 1200 hrs (1100 GMT)
Carlos Moya (ESP) v Mardy Fish (USA)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Andy Roddick (USA)
Saturday 4 December - 1600 hrs (1500 GMT)
Rafael Nadal/Tommy Robredo (ESP) v Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)
Sunday 5 December - 1200 hrs (1100 GMT)
Carlos Moya (ESP) v Andy Roddick (USA)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) v Mardy Fish (USA)
Spanish Captain Jordi Arrese has sprung a surprise by selecting Rafael Nadal as his No. 2 singles player, ahead of Juan Carlos Ferrero, in the final of the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas here in Seville.
Carlos Moya will get the tie underway on Friday at noon (1100 GMT) as he faces Mardy Fish, before Nadal meets Andy Roddick in the second match on the opening day. The doubles will as expected see Nadal and Tommy Robredo facing Bob and Mike Bryan, and on Sunday the reverse singles will be Moya against Roddick, followed by Nadal against Fish.
There were audible gasps from the world’s press as Nadal’s selection was announced at the Draw ceremony. There had been much speculation that if a surprise was to come from anywhere, it would be from US Captain Patrick McEnroe, who some were predicting would opt to play Vince Spadea ahead of Mardy Fish as his second singles player.
Instead it was Arrese who provided the drama, becoming at 18 years 185 days the second youngest player to play a singles rubber in the Davis Cup Final. Boris Becker remains the youngest, at 18 years 30 days, having played for Federal Republic of Germany in the 1985 Final. Becker defeated Stefan Edberg 63 36 75 86 on the opening day, lost the doubles rubber playing with Andreas Maurer to Joakim Nystrom/Mats Wilander 64 62 61, before defeating Mats Wilander in the fourth rubber 63 26 63 63. Sweden won the Final 3-2.
Overall Nadal will become the fourth youngest man to play in a Davis Cup Final. John Alexander (AUS) in the 1968 Final, aged 17 years 177 days, and Jack Kramer (USA) in 1939 aged 18 years 35 days, both played doubles only.
“The decision was a decision made by the three captains together after surveying the players during the week, during the training sessions,” said Jordi Arrese, part of the ‘G3’ along with Jose Perlas and Juan Avendano who captain the Spanish team.
Arrese explained that Ferrero would only practise normally for the first time today, having had his hand taped all week, and that the decision to play Nadal was made this morning.
Nadal appeared delighted by the prospect of playing in front of 27,200 spectators on Friday (600 more tickets were made available to the city of Seville today), despite having only made his Davis Cup debut in the first round this year against the Czech Republic. He also lost his only previous meeting with Roddick, in the second round of the US Open this year, 60 63 64.
“It is absolutely no problem for me. I wish there would be 10,000 more spectators tomorrow. I’m happy about that,” said Nadal.
Roddick meanwhile admitted to feeling surprised that the Spanish had picked Nadal.
“Personally I was expecting to play Ferrero. You know, that being said, we have a lefty practice partner, one of the youngsters, I’ve been practising with him a little bit this week, just in case.”
So it appears to be advantage Spain after the draw, as Moya will open the tie, something the Spanish said they were happy about. If Moya beats Mardy Fish as expected, the pressure will in many ways be off for Nadal as he steps on court.
The doubles looks set to be a key factor in the outcome of this Final, with the Bryans, as reigning Tennis Masters Cup Champions and undefeated in four Davis Cup rubbers, favoured to win but by no means a certainty against the promising pairing of Nadal and Robredo.
Sunday’s match against Moya and Roddick should be a match to savour, with Moya hoping to overturn a 0-3 losing record in matches against the American, although this will be their first meeting on clay. And of course 27,700 home fans might make a bit of difference as well.
Juan Carlos Ferrero, meanwhile, could yet have a key part to play in this Final.
“Yes of course I felt a bit surprised by the decision, but one has to accept it as a Davis Cup player,” he said today, before confirming that he would have been happy to have played if asked.
This raises the possibility of him being selected to play the fifth rubber on Sunday instead of Nadal against Mardy Fish, especially if it turns out to be decisive. If the scores are level at 2-2, then Jordi Arrese and his two co-captains will have a very tricky decision. Do they opt for Ferrero, who may be carrying an injury and has had a poor year, but will be fresh and has the experience of two Finals under his belt? Or do they stick with 18-year-old Nadal, who has suggested he can cope with pressure by winning the decisive fifth rubber against Radek Stepanek in the first round against the Czechs, in the cauldron of a fifth rubber in a Final? Or could Tommy Robredo, who has played so well year, be drafted in?
Many questions remain, but we will start to get some answers on Friday.
SHOCK!! *sigh*
NEWS JC is the main guest at a dinner gala held by tenis asturiano in Oviedo. The event is 10 days long and JC plans to spend his time with his father, trainer and girlfriend skiing and sightseeing.
