Photo by REUTERS/Albert Gea (SPAIN) via Daylife.com
The Davis Cup draw was released on Thursday, and Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych will be facing off in the first match of this weekend’s final in Barcelona. Here’s the full schedule:
Friday, December 4
Rafael Nadal v Tomas Berdych
David Ferrer v Radek Stepanek
Saturday, December 5
Feliciano Lopez / Fernando Verdasco v Lukas Dlouhy / Jan Hajek
Sunday, December 6
Rafael Nadal v Radek Stepanek
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych
One of the biggest “surprises” is that 18th ranked David Ferrer is playing second singles over 9th ranked Fernando Verdasco. But it’s not really a shocker, considering Verdasco is recovering from a leg injury. Nando and F-Lo have also had a very successful Davis Cup doubles partnership, including winning 3 out of the 4 matches they played together in last year’s successful DC campaign.
The Czech’s twist: nominating the untested team of Lukas Dlouhy/Jan Hajek for the doubles instead of Czech mates Radek Stepanek/Tomas Berdych, who have won all three doubles points for their county this year. It must be nice to have Dlouhy as a backup, considering that he and partner Leander Paes are the reigning US Open and Roland Garros doubles champions. Expecting Radek and Tomas to play singles and doubles against the Spainiards on red clay would likely be a kamikaze mission, anyway.
Of course, the team captains may have some last-minute substitutions in mind.
Let’s take a short break to admire Feliciano Lopez and his Spanish Armada t-shirt:
Photo by Alejandro Garcia via Marca.com
And Rafa’s game face:
AP Photo/Manu Fernandez via Daylife.com
The Spanish team is shooting for its fourth DC title in seven finals appearances, with its first coming in the same Barcelona stadium against Australia in 2000. Since then, Spain has won finals against the USA in 2004 and Argentina last year. The Czechs are in their third final, their sole title won in 1980 against Italy. Spain holds a 3-2 advantage over the Czech Republic in DC play.
Loading ...Beating Rafael Nadal and the Spanish Armada in Spain and on clay is a tough task, but not impossible, says Tomas Berdych. Though the current World No. 20 has never beaten Nadal on clay (and not on any surface since 2006), he says he’s been inspired by the recent success of fellow ball basher Robin Soderling. Berdych told Marca.com this week:
“Well, Soderling at Roland Garros showed us the way to play him (Nadal) on the dirt and that he’s not unbeatable. You have to play fast, being aggressive from the first shot and taking the pace from the baseline. It’s a bit like what Davydenko did, first in Shanghai and later in London. But the statistic doesn’t escape me: Rafa has not lost a single Davis Cup match in Spanish territory. To beat him will require the combination that I play very well and he not so much.”
Berdych and Soderling have more than a playing style in common:
The Berdych footage is from his 2006 victory over Rafa in Madrid. The Czech complained to the press after the match that the partisan crowd had created a Davis Cup atmosphere. Well, consider it practice, Tomas. The Czech Federation has reportedly purchased all 1,500 of its allotted seats in the 16,500 capacity Palau Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona, but Berdych fans are sure to be drowned out by the trumpets, bull horns and battle songs of 15,000 festive Spaniards.
Unfortunately for those of us who love a side of nastiness with our Davis Cup final (remember last year’s Team Argentina implosion?), Tomas says there are no hard feelings between him and Rafa (via Marca.com):
“To me that (2006 match) is a thing of the past that is not in my head. Furthermore, my relationship with Rafa is good, we can say we are friends. Whenever I see him in the locker room after winning a title, I’m the first to congratulate him. He is certainly a good kid.”
They certainly look happy together:
Photo by Paul Zimmer via DavisCup.com
And now it’s time for Men in Tracksuits! Is the goofiness intentional or a happy accident?
Photo by Paul Zimmer via DavisCup.com
Photo by Paul Zimmer via DavisCup.com
Some footage from the draw ceremony and press conference. I call it “Smoldering Spaniards Before the Storm”:
And some fun and games with Rafa, Uncle Toni and Radek:
Davis Cup will be broadcast live on Tennis Channel in the States. Click here for the Davis Cup TV schedule.
