‘Drained’ Nadal soldiers on for Spain in Davis Cup
MADRID — Rafa Nadal will play Sergiy Stakhovsky in today’s second Davis Cup singles rubber after Spain announced their line-up for the World Group play-off at home to Ukraine yesterday.
There had been doubt over world No 2 Nadal’s participation in the three-day tie in Madrid after Monday’s exertions in New York where he beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the US Open final.
Nadal arrived in the Spanish capital early on Wednesday and after training at the “Magic Box” venue, the 27-year-old was named in the team for yesterday’s draw by captain Alex Corretja.
“When I have been asked and have been free of injury I have always turned out to try to help the team win points and secure victories,” Nadal said.
“I have been playing at the maximum intensity for practically a whole month and obviously that has a draining effect.
“But I am ready for tomorrow and it’s just going to require another little bit of effort. I hope to be competitive even though I have spent very few hours on the court,” Nadal said.
Stakhovsky caused a huge upset at Wimbledon this year when he defeated seven-time champion Roger Federer in the second round, but Nadal should have little trouble against the world No 92, especially as the tie is on his favoured clay.
Nadal has won 20 of his 21 Davis Cup singles matches, including a perfect 16 out of 16 on clay.
Spain’s No 2 Fernando Verdasco will play Ukraine’s No 1 Alexandr Dolgopolov in the opening singles, with the doubles to come tomorrow and the reverse singles on Sunday in the first meeting between the two nations. Spain are in the play-offs after losing away to Milos Raonic’s Canada in the first round in February
When I have been asked and have been free of injury I have always turned out
when Nadal, who had just returned from a seven-month injury layoff, did not feature. They had last fallen in the first round in 2006 when a team also missing Nadal was beaten 4-1 by Belarus on indoor carpet in Minsk.
In other World Group play-off ties Poland’s hopes of joining the elite for the first time have been dealt a huge blow after Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz was ruled out with a back injury for the home tie against Australia in Warsaw.
Andy Murray will lead Britain’s attempt to return to the World Group and will face 16-year-old Croatian Borna Coric in the opening singles rubber in Umag.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic will open the Davis Cup semifinals against Vasek Pospisil today when Serbia takes on Canada.
In the other singles match drawn yesterday, Janko Tipsarevic will face Milos Raonic, Canada’s top player. The doubles will be played tomorrow and reverse singles are on Sunday.
Djokovic says he hopes to recover from the change of the time zones and jet lag after losing the US Open final to Nadal on Monday. Canada has never made it this far in the Davis Cup, while Serbia won the event in 2010.
The winner will face either the Czech Republic or Argentina in the final in November.
Meanwhile, French No 1 JoWilfried Tsonga, out injured since the second round of Wimbledon in June, will make his return to competition at the Moselle Open, one of the tournament’s organisers said yesterday. Manager for the event that runs from tomorrow until next Sunday, Yvon Boutter said that Tsonga had worked hard during the European summer to get back to full fitness, but the only question was when he would play again.
“He’s chosen to return indoors at Metz because the end of the season is played on this surface. He has points to defend and the Masters in his sights. He’s on top form,” Boutter said.
Tsonga, No 8 in the ATP world rankings, suffered a left knee injury during Wimbledon that forced him to withdraw.
He has won the tournament in northeast France twice, has been the event’s ambassador for four years and will be the top seed.
World No 16 Gilles Simon, sidelined by whooping cough for two months, has been given a wild card entry.