mónaco

Good atmosphere in the draw held on Thursday at the Teatro Lope de Vega

It is a very individual sport like tennis, compete for your country as a team becomes an event. Maybe that´s what´s so special about Davis Cup more than 100 years of history. In this latest edition, and with the clay of the Olympic Stadium of La Cartuja as a stage play, Spain and Argentina seek to register their name in the list of winners of the Davis.

Since Rafael Nadal on clay jump Sant Jordi in Barcelona in December 2000 as standard-bearer carrying the Spanish flag in the first final of the `Armada´ local territory (previously lost to Australia in 1965 and 1967), the Spaniard knew that his life would be linked to this tennis tournament. It debuted in 2004 at Brno in the Czech Republic, with the Spanish hero to get to the fifth item Radek Stepanek facing our passage to the quarterfinals. That same year, the Olympic Stadium of La Cartuja as a witness, Rafa became the youngest player to win the Davis Cup with just 18 years and 187 days. His feeling with competition have led him to sign a background of 20 wins and 5 losses (18-1 in singles), being largely absent from the end of Mar del Plata in 2008 against Argentina and starred the following year in Barcelona at the Czech Republic. Nadal is the great leader of the team led by Albert Costa. "It is true that my record in the last seven years on earth is very good and hopefully I can go on, but the Davis Cup competition is a special, different, less time to prepare and everything is more dangerous. There is a desire to win the importance of the tournament and finish the season with positive feelings. But it will not be easy, "says the Spaniard.

Nadal´s first opponent in Seville will be his friend Juan Monaco, with whom he shared apartment holidays and PlayStation games in each tournament. Although the Argentine captain, Modesto `Tito´ Vazquez, has attempted to play the dismissal until the last minute like a game of chess is involved, the entry of `peak´ for the first day was a secret. The objective is to punish as possible to the No. 1 Spanish and David Nalbandian saved for the last two days. "The earth is a very hard surface and prefer not to put a player three straight days," said coach albiceleste. Nadal and Monaco have met on three occasions to date, with a background of 2-1 in favor of the Spaniard, who had to withdraw at their last meeting in Cincinnati 2007. "I feel good, with confidence, energy and adapted to clay," warns Monaco.

The importance of sentence or to hope

Albicelestes options go through scratching a spot on the first day of competition and the headlights are on Juan Martin del Potro, who return to their Argentine number 1 three years after the `Marplatazo´ to Spain. "It´s part of the past. We grew a lot as a result of that end, I improved a lot as a player and now have a second chance. We are calm and try to fight very hard," says the Tower of Tandil, which has signed an exceptional season in which has moved from the position 485 of the ranking to rise to the eleventh step. Even end the year in `Top-Ten´ world just win a game in the final.

His first opportunity to have it to David Ferrer. The Javea, that as soon takes gallons of leader in the absence Nadal puts on overalls and yields in the shade, is the third player with the most wins on clay this season (behind only Nicolas Almagro and Rafa himself) . "I get physically tired, but the final is going to give up. It is last year´s effort," said Ferru. David and Del Potro have been measured on four occasions to date, sharing two wins each player. Interestingly, Sevilla will mark the first precedent between the two on clay.

Nadal-Monaco, to open mouth

Predictably, the draw was held Thursday at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Seville and has been the model Eva Gonzalez as master of ceremonies, finished to resolve the uncertainties regarding the Argentine box. While Costa has confirmed that, unless unforeseen last minute Nadal and Ferrer used for individual duels and Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco for doubles, Vazquez confirmed that Eduardo Schwank enters the group to the detriment of Juan Ignacio Chela, while Monaco bet on the first day to reserve a Nalbandian who claims to be "with the dream of his life." The first game (Friday, 14.00 hours, TVE) is the Nadal-Monaco match followed by Ferrer-Del Potro.

"Spain is the strongest team in history on clay," said Del Potro. It is wrong. Since losing in Lleida to the Brazilian `Guga´ Kuerten in the first round of 1999, Spain accumulates 22 consecutive knockout win on this surface, 20 of them acting as local. In this case will again be the Olympic Stadium of La Cartuja, which is prepared to accommodate 27,700 spectators, a record in the history of the sport. Argentina gets hungry for the first time raise the Davis, Spain forward to adding his fifth `punch´ of silver. Wait a weekend of passion ... and tennis.

Segura Xavi stringer national team championship `organizer´ which held the Spanish in Sevilla

The players spend about 40 weeks a year traveling from one end to another of the planet in the company of his inner circle, their malaise, their racketeering ... and the console. Spanish is common and Argentina gathered in the hotel turn to dispatch a rivalry than the one already made in the track.

Rivals on the track and teammates outside. Rafael Nadal and Juan Monaco pairs form one of the hardest to win as far as parties in the Pro Evolution Soccer for the PlayStation is concerned. Spanish and Argentine rivals this week in the Davis Cup final, have shared in more than one occasion sofa and control to challenge fellow circuit. Rafa confessed Real Madrid and Monaco, a fan of Estudiantes de la Plata, form a good tandem virtual. The world No. 2 had already stated in the semifinals of Cordoba, which is a way to kill time and to stick together in the group. "We spent hours and hours talking, playing PlayStation, watching basketball and football on television. I would live this environment, the weeks go faster and everything is more fun," he said. You only need to look online to see how they live.

Another of the `footballers´ in the `Armada´ is David Ferrer. The warrior of Javea is just inside the tennis court as watching TV. "Tomorrow we play train, but tonight I expected a game of play with Rafa," said last week at the Masters Cup. Fernando Verdasco moved its versatility (can play singles or doubles) to mute and consoles himself with the Kinect Sports manages 2, which is the image, as with the Pro: "I prefer the XBox, but I play with what you have . I use it off and have a good time with friends beyond tennis. My goal is to teach this concentration Feliciano play. " And is that the Toledo is usually not a usual practice. "Have you ever played, but it takes practice," said his doubles partner.

Moving the bounce of the track to the television In addition to the quartet `owner´, Albert Costa has led Sevilla to two men who, beyond being able to train or participate in the final in case of injury last minute to stick together and form another couple items of Play . Marcel Granollers, `parrot´ confessed, is also not a regular, but it tries to improve its performance when paired with the rest of the `Armada´. Whoever it is more frequent is Marc Lopez, one of Rafa´s best friend, whom he accompanied on the track at numerous tournaments. With it not only shares training hours, but days of fishing, golfing or intense days of console.

In addition to Monaco, another who has lived `chop´ has virtual Nadal Juan Martin del Potro. They both joined a good friend from his days as juniors, united by language tours, common friends and the fans with the PlayStation. "Hopefully the result on the tennis court is always the same as when we play the Play. It would be an extra point for Spain," Rafa answered in an interview before the final of the Davis Cup 2008 in Mar del Plata. Another shared passion and a table with Rafa is David Nalbandian, who shares the same golf course with the Spaniard as television and controls. In your case, it is well known his love for River Plate.

For the rest of the Legion `Argentina´, they also like. A Juan Ignacio Chela we have seen in a video sharing virtual pitch Mariano Zabaleta, Eduardo Schwank with his friend Horacio Zeballos, and Facundo Bagnis, the `sparring´ albiceleste, that since he bought the PlayStation in early season is not separated it on every trip.