Team Argentina calls the Spaniards as favourites in the Davis Cup Finals – Tennis News
The strong Spanish squad has already been put under pressure by the comments of Team Argentina, which called the defending champions to be the hot favourite for the Davis Cup Finals on their home soil.
Team Spain is led by two of the most lethal players on clay courts, world number two Rafael Nadal, and the fifth ranked David Ferrer, making it a formidable squad in the competition. The defending champions will be eyeing for their third prestigious Davis Cup title in four years when the enthralling event starts this weekend on the clay courts of the Olympic Stadium, in Seville, Spain.
Besides the two Top-10 players in the side, the Spanish squad will also include the world number 20, Feliciano Lopez and 24th ranked Fernando Verdasco, with Albert Costa accompanying as the team captain. Team Argentina will be led by the former US Open champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, along with the world number 26, Juan Monaco, 29th ranked Juan Ignacio Chela and the former world number three, David Nalbandian, whereas Tito Vazquez will captain of the side.
The Argentines believe that Team Spain is much stronger on paper then their side but they are not intimidated by their superiority at all. Besides getting an edge of being the hot favourites for the coming showdown, Team Spain will be under more pressure to come up to the expectations of their home crowd and this might be the chance for the Argentines to hunt them down.
“There's always pressure, especially in a final. But they are favored over us and have more pressure,” Nalbandian said on Tuesday. “It is a very complicated series, one where we can win or lose all the points. We have to be well prepared.”
The mighty Spaniards have won 20 straight competitions at home since 1999, with Nadal and Ferrer always being their top guns in the game. The two Spaniards have a combined record of 25-0 in singles rubbers at the Davis Cup matches being played on their home clay and a similar sort of performance is anticipated from both stars by their ever-enthusiastic home crowd this weekend.
“We could win or lose 4-1 or 1-4 or 3-2,” Argentina captain said. “Rafa is a fortress on clay and so is Ferrer.”
The Spain-Argentina Davis Cup clash is a rematch of the 2008 final, when Spain lifted the glorious trophy after defeating the Argentines 3-1 on their home ground.
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