ARTICLE Ferrero win seals top flight survival for Spain
Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Italy's Daniele Bracciali in straight sets 63 60 63 on Sunday to secure a 3-2 win for his country in their Davis Cup World Group Play-off.
Spain went into the final two singles matches trailing 2-1 after a surprise defeat in Saturday's doubles but, after world No. 2 Rafael Nadal beat a battling Andreas Seppi, Ferrero sealed the comeback to leave Italy facing a sixth season outside the top flight.
The Spaniards, last season's champions, were forced into the Play-offs after their first round defeat to Slovakia, and Jordi Arrese's team were facing the prospect of relegation after two days of spirited play from the Italians lapped up by capacity crowds at the new stadium at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
Nadal's victory changed the mood however, with the 19-year-old, who has claimed ten singles titles this season, bringing his team level and setting up Ferrero for what was, in the end, a straightforward win.
Nadal, who along with Feliciano Lopez lost in the doubles to leave the Spaniards trailing in the tie overnight, met with little resistance from Seppi in the first two sets. But Seppi, who provided a surprise on Friday when he beat Ferrero, battled hard in the third set, finding the inspiration for a 75 victory to keep the rubber alive.
The fourth set was a struggle for a tiring Nadal in the southern Italian heat but he ground out a 64 victory to take the tie on to level terms. "I've had a tough week or so with the China Open, the flight back from China and then a singles on Friday and a doubles game on Saturday that lasted for four and a half hours," said Nadal. "My first two sets were very good and in fact I'd say the first set was perfect but then from the third set I struggled physically and it became hard work.
"He started to play more aggressively and I found it difficult to move around the court. But I played with my heart right until the end. It was my faith in victory when physically it became tough that was the key," added the Spaniard.
Ferrero had no trouble in dealing with Bracciali and despite suffering a cut to his knee which left him bleeding throughout the third set he cruised to a win which saved Spain from becoming only the third team in the Davis Cup World Group's 24-year history to be relegated from the World Cup the year after winning the title. France went down in 1998 and Sweden, winners in 1999, were relegated in 2000.
Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Italy's Daniele Bracciali in straight sets 63 60 63 on Sunday to secure a 3-2 win for his country in their Davis Cup World Group Play-off.
Spain went into the final two singles matches trailing 2-1 after a surprise defeat in Saturday's doubles but, after world No. 2 Rafael Nadal beat a battling Andreas Seppi, Ferrero sealed the comeback to leave Italy facing a sixth season outside the top flight.
The Spaniards, last season's champions, were forced into the Play-offs after their first round defeat to Slovakia, and Jordi Arrese's team were facing the prospect of relegation after two days of spirited play from the Italians lapped up by capacity crowds at the new stadium at the foot of Mount Vesuvius.
Nadal's victory changed the mood however, with the 19-year-old, who has claimed ten singles titles this season, bringing his team level and setting up Ferrero for what was, in the end, a straightforward win.
Nadal, who along with Feliciano Lopez lost in the doubles to leave the Spaniards trailing in the tie overnight, met with little resistance from Seppi in the first two sets. But Seppi, who provided a surprise on Friday when he beat Ferrero, battled hard in the third set, finding the inspiration for a 75 victory to keep the rubber alive.
The fourth set was a struggle for a tiring Nadal in the southern Italian heat but he ground out a 64 victory to take the tie on to level terms. "I've had a tough week or so with the China Open, the flight back from China and then a singles on Friday and a doubles game on Saturday that lasted for four and a half hours," said Nadal. "My first two sets were very good and in fact I'd say the first set was perfect but then from the third set I struggled physically and it became hard work.
"He started to play more aggressively and I found it difficult to move around the court. But I played with my heart right until the end. It was my faith in victory when physically it became tough that was the key," added the Spaniard.
Ferrero had no trouble in dealing with Bracciali and despite suffering a cut to his knee which left him bleeding throughout the third set he cruised to a win which saved Spain from becoming only the third team in the Davis Cup World Group's 24-year history to be relegated from the World Cup the year after winning the title. France went down in 1998 and Sweden, winners in 1999, were relegated in 2000.
