Spain wins Davis Cup after Nadal-Del Potro epic
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Xinhua, December 5, 2011
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Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning his tennis match against Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro and the Davis Cup final for Spain in Seville, Spain on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011. |
Rafael Nadal was the hero of the Spanish tennis team yet again as he fought back from a set down to win his singles tie against Juan Martin del Porto to give Spain its fifth title in tennis' Davis Cup.
Nadal went into Sunday's first singles tie knowing that his country were just one win away from assuring the title against Argentina, but after needing pain killing injections in his knee, it looked as if he would be in trouble after Del Potro stormed through the first set to take it 6-1.
However, cheered on by 27,000 fervent fans in Seville, Nadal won the second set 6-4, before taking the third by a convincing 6- 1 himself.
Del Potro rallied in the fourth set to take it to a tie break, but Nadal had the momentum and went on to win the tie break and with it the tie and the competition.
His win gave Spain and unassailable 3-1 lead in the best of five final, which had been poised 2-1 in Spain's favor on Saturday night after the Argentinean duo of David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank won Saturday's doubles rubber to keep their country in with a chance of winning the competition.
Nalbandian and Schwank enjoyed a comfortable straight sets win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 against the Spanish pairing of Feliciano Lopez and Juan Carlos Verdasco, who afterwards announced their successful six-year Davis cup partnership would come to an end.
Spain had taken a two rubber lead on Friday as Nadal and David Ferrer both won their singles ties. Nadal had few problems in beating Juan Monaco in three sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2, while Ferrer had to dig deep for a five set marathon against Del Potro.
It is the second time in three years that the Spanish have beaten Argentina in the final of the Davis Cup.
