Rafael Nadal takes on Juan Monaco to take off Davis Cup Finals – Tennis News
With 2011 tennis season drawing to a finish, Spain and Argentina will feature the final battle of the year to clinch glory at the Davis Cup Finals on Friday. The ITF (International Tennis Federation) mega event will be held on
the clay courts of Seville, Spain, from 2nd to 4th of December, with the home favourite Spanish side eyeing to defending its Davis Cup title.
The matches schedule has been announced and the Spanish spearhead, Rafael Nadal, will be taking on Juan Monaco of Argentina in the opening singles rubber to start off the proceedings. Team Spain further includes the world number
five, David Ferrer, 20th ranked Feliciano Lopez and world number 24 Fernando Verdasco. The visitors are led by the former US Open champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, accompanied by a well prepared squad including the former world number three David
Nalbandian, Eduardo Schwank and Juan Monaco.
The Spaniards heavily rely on the expertise of the ‘King of Clay’, Nadal, who played a significant part in Spain’s Davis Cup Finals victory in 2004 and 2009. The world number two is reckoned to be the deadliest player on the clay
courts and has a 18-1 winning record in Davis Cup matches being played at home. Nadal had a tiring ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season and has just come out of an agonising exit from the season finale, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, in London
last week.
The second ranked Spaniard finished the current ATP season with 67-15 winning record and bagging three championship titles, all coming on clay courts. He was victorious at Monte Carlo Masters, Barcelona and the prestigious Grand
Slam, the Roland Garros, this season and will be the hot favourite in the singles rubber against Monaco on Friday.
On the other hand, the underdog Monaco has been struggling all the season to get his rhythm right and finished the ATP circuit with 31-26 winning record, failing to pocket any title. Monaco will be facing Nadal in a singles battle
after four years and is already trailing 1-2 against the Spaniard in head-to-head combats. The last encounter which took place between these two in Cincinnati Masters in 2007 resulted in Nadal’s withdrawal in the second set due to injury, letting Monaco victorious.
It is also feared that Nadal’s fatigue after a labouring ATP season might cause him to collapse in the final showdown of the year, giving an opening to the Argentine to produce an upset result on Friday.
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