Málaga (Spain) – On Tuesday, the final tournament of the tennis Davis Cup will begin in Málaga, Spain, where the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles, Rafael Nadal, will say goodbye to his career in front of the home fans. The overall victory is defended by the Italians, who will also be helped by the world number one and recent champion from the Tournament of Champions Jannik Sinner. The final will take place on November 24. Unlike last year, the Czechs did not make it to the top eight.
Nadal, 38, announced his decision to retire from the Davis Cup in October. The former world number one and winner of 92 ATP tournaments has struggled with health problems in recent years. In the last two years, he played only 23 matches, this year 19 singles matches. He last started a month ago at an exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He played his last competitive match in the summer at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The organizers prepared a spectacular farewell for Nadal in Málaga. Posters and messages with the inscription Gracias Rafa (Thank you Rafa) are posted in the streets or metro stations. The big tribune of the athletics stadium opposite the José María Martín Carpena hall, where the Davis Cup will be played, carries the same message.
The Spanish open the tournament on Tuesday from 17:00 when they face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. The match is sold out, according to tournament director Feliciano López, the demand for tickets was such that the organizers would fill the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s football stadium for 80,000 fans. The arena in Málaga can accommodate 11,300 spectators.
However, Nadal’s start is uncertain. In addition to the native of Mallorca, in the nomination of captain David Ferrer are the world three Carlos Alcaraz, Pedro Martínez, Roberto Bautista and Marcel Granollers. “I don’t know yet if he will play. At the moment I haven’t decided which players will start on Tuesday,” Ferrer said.
Nadal accepted the role. In the Davis Cup, he can win his fifth triumph, he first succeeded 20 years ago in Seville. “If I’m on the pitch, I’ll try to hold my emotions. I’m not here to end my career, but to help us win. It’s my last week in the team competition and the most important thing will be to help the team. Emotions will come at the end. Until then, I’ll focus on what I have to do,” said the native of Manacor.
In the other quarter-final matches, Germany will face Canada, the Americans will face Australia, and the defending champions Italy will face Argentina. The start of the tournament partly overlaps with the final stage of the Billie Jean King Cup, which is also played in Málaga.
The reigning Italian champions will be led by two-time Grand Slam winner Sinner, who successfully tuned in at the domestic Tournament of Champions, to defend the “salad bowl”. In Turin, he triumphed without losing a set, lastly defeating Taylor Fritz in the final, who will fulfill the role of number one in the USA team.
Unlike last season, the Czechs did not reach the decisive phase of the Davis Cup. They lost all three of their matches against Spain, Australia and France at the Valencia stage in September and finished bottom of the four-man Group B.
Sport tennis Davis Cup OPENER
Source: www.ceskenoviny.cz
