Rafael Nadal won’t play the Davis Cup next season – Tennis News
Spain’s victory celebrations of its fifth Davis Cup title were tarnished when the world number two Rafael Nadal announced that he won’t be leading Team Spain in Davis Cup campaigns next year. The Spanish top gun cited that 2012
is an Olympic year and his priority will be to defend his title at the mega event in summer next season.
The second ranked Spaniard played a vital role in his side’s victory over Argentina on the clay courts of Seville, in Spain, last weekend, winning both of his singles rubbers to keep the prestigious title at home. Nadal took down
Juan Monaco comprehensively in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, in the opening singles rubber on Friday. His second hard-fought rubber against the Argentine spearhead, Juan Martin Del Potro, was played on Sunday night and the world number two dumped his opponent
1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(0), to register 3-1 victory over Team Argentina to lift the Davis Cup title.
The Spanish ace striker announced after the emphatic victory over the visitors that Team Spain will not have his expertise in the Davis Cup competitions in the next season. Nadal didn’t ruled out his chances of having a comeback
to the Spanish side but also cited that he have no plans on playing the Davis Cup matches before defending his Olympic title in summer.
“I won`t play next year,” he said. “It`s an Olympic year. For many years I`ve been playing the highest number of matches in a year and I don’t want to play too many. I want a coherent calendar. So my participation in the Davis
Cup next year is impossible.”
Team Spain was dealt with a double blow when its other ace striker, world number five David Ferrer, also announced that he too will not accompany the Spanish squad in next year’s Davis Cup competitions. The 29-year-old Spaniard
claimed that his five-year Davis Cup duty for his country is virtually over now and he shall be taking rest from the tournament in the next season as well.
The other two members of the winning Spanish side, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, are also losing their steam and it is seriously worrying Spain for the 2012 Davis Cup competition.
“It’s going to be difficult for the four of us to play together again,” said Ferrer. “This is the end of the party. I’m older and am not in the best physical state.”
With the match-winning veterans abandoning the side, Spain’s Davis Cup glory in the next season will be lying in the hands of young blood. Eyes are set upon the world number 10, Nicolas Almagro, who might become the spearhead of
the Spanish Davis Cup squad side in 2012 season.
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