Lopez hauls Spain level

Spain drew level 1-1 with Argentina in the Davis Cup final when Feliciano Lopez beat the injured Juan Martin del Potro in four sets in the seconds singles rubber at Mar del Plata yesterday.

Earlier, David Nalbandian was in top form for Argentina when he raced to a straight-sets win over David Ferrer. Nalbandian won 6-3 6-2 6-3 in one hour 59 minutes to give the hosts the perfect start in their bid to win the competition for the first time.

"I played well from start to finish, I was always in control of the situation and the public was incredible," Nalbandian told reporters.

"There were some moments of tension which I managed to keep under control. It was an almost perfect game."

Ferrer, who continued a poor recent run of form, said he could not get going.

"David was far superior and there's nothing more to say," he told reporters. "The court wasn't easy but it's a tennis court like any other. I didn't have good sensations during the game, I wasn't up to it."

The Argentine was quick out off the blocks as he broke serve in the third game and repeated the trick in the seventh when Ferrer double faulted on break point.

Ferrer, struggling on the fast indoor surface at the Polideportivo Malvinas arena, broke back in the next game but Nalbandian replied immediately to wrap up the first set in 53 minutes.

The Spaniard struggled to find an answer to Nalbandian's flowing tennis as he dropped his serve again in the fourth game of the next set having led 40-0.

Ferrer broke back in the next game but it was only a minor hitch for the hosts as Nalbandian broke twice more to finish the set in 38 minutes.

In the final set, Nalbandian broke in the sixth game before producing two aces to earn three match points.

He finished things off with another powerful serve which Ferrer could not return.

In the second singles, Del Potro, swept through the first set in 38 minutes after breaking serve in the fifth game.

Lopez won the next two sets on tie-breaks before Del Potro, already struggling with a toe injury, suffered what appeared to be a pulled muscle in his right leg in the sixth game of the fourth.

Del Potro soldiered on but the Spaniard won 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-3 to level the tie.

Today, Lopez can further boost Spain's hopes of winning the Davis Cup when he teams up with Fernando Verdasco in the doubles to face the home pairing of Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri.