King of clay Rafael Nadal led Spain to a fifth Davis Cup by BNP Paribas title with the hosts securing a thrilling 3-1 victory over Argentina in front of an enthralled crowd in Seville’s Olympic stadium.
Six-time French Open champion Nadal opened the tie with a crushing 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Juan Monaco on the indoor clay court to give Spain a 1-0 lead.
Spanish No.2 David Ferrer then took to the court against Argentinean No.1 Juan Martin Del Potro. The pair captivated the crowd for five gripping sets before the Spaniard emerged with a titanic 6-2, 6-7(2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory after four hours and 46 minutes play.
Facing the enormity of a 0-2 deficit the visitors produced a fine fight back in the doubles on day two. David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank were on top form to sweep aside Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 and give Argentina hope of a tremendous comeback.
In order to keep Argentina alive on day three Del Potro had the unenviable task of needing to defeat Nadal on a surface the world No.2 had won 202 of his last 209 matches dating back to the beginning of 2005.
However the giant 23 year-old rose to the challenge and, despite losing his opening service game, dominated the legendary Spaniard in the opening set by striking 18 winners and taking it 6-1 after 63 minutes.
When the 2009 US Open champion broke Nadal in the opening game of the second set a major shock appeared to be a genuine possibility. Nadal had other ideas and reeled off five straight points to break Del Potro in the second game and rapidly went up through the gears.
The 25 year-old Majorcan moved ahead on serve and broke the Argentinean with an emphatic smash in the tenth game to level the match. When the former World No.1 raced through the third set 6-1 and opened a 2-0 lead in the fourth it appeared Argentina’s challenge was over.
However Del Potro was not finished and summoned one last push using his massive groundstrokes and broke back for 2-2. Nadal broke again to lead 3-2 before Del Potro reeled off three straight games at served for the set at 5-3. An untimely double fault at 30-all gave Nadal a chance and the Spaniard slotted a forehand up the line to break back.
The Spaniard broke again to serve for the tie at 6-5 only for the Argentinean to strike back and force a tie-break. Nadal produced a superb display in the breaker and sealed the title for the Spaniards with his 26th forehand winner on match point to complete a memorable 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(0) after eight minutes over four hours.
With the Spanish holding an unassailable 3-1 lead the fifth rubber was not required and the home team – including Captain Albert Costa – celebrated on court in front of a largely delighted crowd.
Stat Attack – Spain
Stat Attack – Argentina
Tickets are now on sale for GB's next Davis Cup by BNP Paribas tie vs. Slovak Republic in Europe/Africa Zone Group 1 at Brahead Arena, Glasgow from 10-12 February.
10 - Djokovic
No.1 (23) Soderling (Brisbane, Rotterdam, Marseille, Bastad), Ferrer (Auckland, Acapulco), Almagro (Costa do Saupe, Buenos Aires), Roddick (Memphis), Nadal (Monte Carlo, Barcelona, French Open), Djokovic (Belgrade, Montreal, US Open), Isner (Newport), Fish (Atlanta), Tsonga (Metz, Vienna), Murray (Bangkok, Shanghai), Tipsarevic (Moscow), Monfils (Stockholm)No.2 (10) Federer (Doha), Djokovic (Dubai, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Wimbledon), Murray (AEGON Championships, Tokyo), Dolgopolov (Umag), Mayer (Bucharest)No.3 (8) Djokovic (Australian Open, Indian Wells) Wawrinka (Chennai), Almagro (Nice), Tipsarevic (Kuala Lumpar), Berdych (Beijing), Federer (Basel, Paris)No.4 (5) Anderson (Johannesburg), Murray (Cincinnati), Isner (Winston-Salem), Cilic (St.Petersburg), Federer (London O2) No.5 (1) Simon (Hamburg)No.6 (1) Robredo (Santiago)No.7 (1) Davydenko (Munich)No.8 (2) Del Potro (Estoril), Granollers (Gstaad)Unseeded (14) Dodig (Zagreb) Simon (Sydney), Raonic (San Jose), Del Potro (Delray Beach), Andujar (Casablanca), Sweeting (Houston), Kohlschreiber (Halle), Seppi (AEGON International) Tursunov (s-Hertogenbosch), Ferrero (Stuttgart), Gulbis (LA), Stepanek (Washington), Haase (Kitzbühel), Granollers (Valencia)
166 - Del Potro (Delray Beach)
13 – Soderling (Bastad)
61 – Seppi (AEGON International)
41 – Djokovic (Won Australian Open, Won Dubai, Won Indian Wells, Won Miami, Won Belgrade, Won Madrid, Won Rome, SF French Open)
60 – Cilic bt Isner 4-6, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(2), 9-7 (Melbourne 3rd round)
13 games - 6-0, 6-1 / 6-1, 6-0 on 19 occasions
1 – Soderling d. Kohlschreiber 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(7) (Rotterdam 2nd round – 1mp at 6-7 final set tie-break) 2 – Fish d. Isner 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-2 (Atlanta Final – 2mp at 4-6 2nd set tie-break)2 – Djokovic d. Federer 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 (US Open SF – 2mp at 3-5 final set)
Raonic (San Jose) 20 yrs, 1 month & 17 days
Stepanek (Washington) 32yrs, 8 months & 11 days
825 – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
6 – Wozniacki/Kvitova
No.1 (12) Wozniacki (Dubai, Indian Wells, Charleston, Brussels, Copenhagen, New Haven), Azarenka (Marbella, Luxembourg), Vinci (Budapest), Zvonareva (Baku), Kvitova (Linz)No.2 (6) Zvonareva (Doha), Pavlyuchenkova (Monterray), Petkovic (Strasbourg), Petrova (College Park), Pervak (Tashkent), Bartoli (Osaka)No.3 (3) Clijsters (Australian Open), Radwanska (Carlsbad), Kvitova (Istanbul)No.4 (4) Kvitova (Paris), Hantuchova (Pattaya City), Dulko (Acapulco), Sharapova (Cincinnati) No.5 (2) Medina Garrigues (Palermo), Lisicki (Dallas)No.6 (6) Gajdosova (Hobart), Vinci (Barcelona), Li (French Open), Bartoli (AEGON International), Zahlavova Strycova (Quebec), Martínez Sánchez (Seoul)No.7 (4) Dominguez Lino (Bogatá), Sharapova (Rome), Vinci (s-Hertogenbosch), Scheepers (Ghangzhou)No.8 (5) Li (Sydney), Azarenka (Miami), Kvitova (Wimbledon), Hercog (Bastad), Cibulkova (Moscow)No.9 (2) Stosur (US Open), Radwanska (Tokyo)No.11 (1) Radwanska (Beijing)No.16 (1) Kvitova (Madrid)Unseeded (12) Arn (Auckland), Kvitova (Brisbane), Rybarikova (Memphis), Dokic (Kuala Lumpar), Goerges (Stuttgart), Brianti (Fès), Medina Garrigues (Estoril), Lisicki (AEGON Classic), Martínez Sánchez (Bad Gastein), S.Williams (Stanford, Toronto), Ivanovic (Bali)
169 – S.Williams (Stanford)
13 – Lisicki (Dallas)
66 – Scheepers (Ghangzhou)
18 – S.Williams (Won Stanford, Won Toronto, w/o 2nd round Cincinnati, RU US Open)
47 – Schiavone bt Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 (Melbourne 4th round)
12 games - 6-0, 6-0 on ten occasions
5 – Arn d. Arvidsson 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 (Auckland 2nd round – 5mp at 3-5 second set)4 – Rybarikova d. King 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(9) (Memphis 1st round – 2mp at 4-5 third set and 2mp in final set tie-break)2 – Dokic d. Safarova 2-6, 7-6(9), 6-4 (Kuala Lumpar Final – 2mp 2nd set tie-break)2 – Vinci d. Kucova 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 (Budapest QF – 2 mp at 2-5 second set)1 – Kvitova d. Zahlavova Strycova 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(9) (Paris 2nd round – 1mp at 5-6 third set) 1 – Bartoli d. Safarova 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7) (Eastbourne 1st round – 1mp at 5-6 3rd set tie-break)1 – Hercog d. Rezai 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) (Bastad 2nd round – 1mp at 5-6 third set)1 – Scheepers d. Hsieh 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-1 (Ghangzhou 2nd round – 1 mp at 5-6 second set)
Pavlyuchenkova (Monterrey) 19yrs, 8 months&3 days
Arn (Auckland) 31yrs, 8 months & 21 days
270 –Marion Bartoli
Statistics sourced with the help of the ATP and WTA.