DAVIS CUP FINAL WILL BE SPAIN VS ARGENTINA - RAFAEL NADAL TAKING A REST

Rafa and Fernando Verdasco

Photo credits are Abaca Press
except for the one immediately above, which is unknown

Rafael Nadal won in his second match at the Davis Cup semi-final in Madrid over Andy Roddick
6-4, 6-0, 6-4

The score then was the needed 3-1 over the USA in the semi-final, but the bonus match was played between Feliciano Lopez and Sam Querrey. Lopez won in his hometown, Madrid, over Querrey 7-6(3), 7-6(4)

What fun it was to watch.

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Many pictures will be posted later this week.

In the meantime, here are few photos and some videos.

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Rafa celebrates in the locker room
Uploaded by ninzninz2
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Rafa interviewed in Spanish on the court after his victory over Andy Roddick which clenched the semi-final for Spain. Spain will play Argentina in Argentina at the end of November for the final.
Uploaded by vamosrafel
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Press conference after the Davis Cup semi-final with the Spanish team
Uploaded by vamosrafel

The following excerpt is taken from

Argentina to face Spain in Davis Cup final

the full article at www.iht.com

....In Madrid, a commanding performance by a player having a commanding year ended America's reign as Davis Cup holder and sent Spain into the final.

Buoyed by the cheers of a home crowd in a bullring, Rafael Nadal played the role of accomplished matador to the fullest, defeating Andy Roddick, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4, to put Spain in its sixth final.

Nadal, a master on clay, dropped to his knees and pumped his fists after giving his country an insurmountable lead in the best-of-five semifinal.

"It's one of the nicest sensations you can experience in your career," he said.

Nadal said he nearly didn't play Sunday because a scan a day earlier showed a strained buttock muscle...

Rafael Nadal and Spain await Argentina in Davis Cup tennis final

Source: canadianpress

MADRID, Spain — Rafael Nadal isn't too worried about having to play the Davis Cup final against Argentina on a fast indoor court.

Nadal swept Andy Roddick in straight sets on clay Sunday, sending Spain past the reigning champion United States 4-1 and into its sixth final and third in eight years. Argentina defeated Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires in the other semifinal. It will host the Nov. 21-23 final at Orfeo arena in Cordoba, looking to offset the clay-court edge of Nadal and his teammates.

"It's not just the surface but the team that matters," Nadal said.

Argentina knows a faster surface may be the only way to beat Nadal, a four-time French Open champion who has lost only twice in his last 117 clay matches.

"They'll choose whatever works best for them. If they pick an indoor (stadium) we'll go looking to be as competitive as possible," Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said. "If they put us on grass we have the Wimbledon champion."

Argentina, whose team features David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro, reached its third final by eliminating a Russian team confronted by a boisterous and intimidating crowd.

"The Argentine public is a factor if the games are close," Sanchez Vicario said. "But if there is any evident superiority in a match then the public will have little influence. It always depends on what happens on the court."

And Nadal may be worn out after the longest season of his career. Nadal and most likely David Ferrer will have little time to recover from jet lag, having to travel directly to Argentina from the Masters Cup at Shanghai, China, which runs from Nov. 11-16.

Roddick faulted the Davis Cup organizers.

"They know that we love this competition, so they take advantage of it and pretty much put us through the ringer with the schedule not really caring if we get much rest or not," Roddick said. "But if anybody can handle it, it's probably (Nadal)."

Roddick knows just how strong Nadal can be on the clay after losing 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 on Sunday - the first time the U.S. player has been blanked in a set over 22 Davis Cup series.

"With Rafa having the year he's had you probably have to like Spain's chances at this point, but Argentina has been a strong team over the years," said Roddick, who helped lead the U.S. to the title last year.

Sanchez Vicario knows the task will not be easy.

"In the end, the best players are there and playing away will be tough," he said. "But with this team, we can do it."

Spain, Argentina reach Davis Cup finals

Source: www.upi.com

BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Juan Martin del Potro scored a straight-set win Sunday, moving Argentina into the Davis Cup finals against Rafael Nadal and the Spanish team.

The 19-year-old Del Potro defeated Russia's Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 in Buenos Aires, giving his team a 3-2 triumph.

Earlier in the day in Madrid, Nadal crushed American Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 to clinch a semifinal victory for Spain.

The Davis Cup championship matches will be played Nov. 21-23 in Argentina.

Spanish teams have twice won the Cup. Argentina will be seeking its first.

Russia had tied its best-of-five series with Argentina, leaving it to del Potro and Andreev to decide which team would advance. Del Potro broke serve in the opening game and did not trail in the match.

Nadal's victory over Roddick gave his country an insurmountable 3-1 lead in its matches with the United States. Spain ended up with a 4-1 margin after Feliciano Lopez defeated Sam Querrey 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4)

Nadal said he played "near perfect" tennis against Roddick in a match that lasted just over 2 hours.

"I shocked myself with some of the winners I played ... ," Nadal said.

The United States won the Davis Cup last year.