Argentina seek revenge for 2008 heartache

Argentina will be gunning to avenge their painful loss to Spain in the final of the 2008 Davis Cup when the teams cross swords again in this year’s final, which starts in Seville today.

Three years ago, on home soil in Mar del Plata, Argentina went into the match as favourites amid the absence through injury of Spain’s Rafael Nadal.

Instead, after David Nalbandian had crushed David Ferrer in the opening rubber, they sank to a 3-1 loss – they didn’t play the final rubber – that left them still seeking a first Davis Cup title after four final appearances.

Nadal will spearhead Spain’s bid for glory this time around, and he will do so on his preferred clay surface at Seville’s Estadio Olimpico, but Argentina captain Modesto Vazquez says his players will not be found wanting again.

“I wasn’t there but I know we were very disappointed, very sad, as that was our chance,” said Vazquez, who took over the team in 2009.

“Nadal wasn’t in the team, that was our surface (hard) and the right surface to beat them. It was a very close tie – it could be one point here, one point there.

“In the doubles they had a set point, (Juan Martin) del Potro was injured, a few things happened. We hope that the things that happened there will do us favours in this final.”

Del Potro was forced to withdraw from the 2008 decider with a thigh injury but the current world number 11 echoed his skipper in insisting that the experience of three years ago has made his team stronger.

“That’s in the past, completely in the past,” he said.

“After that final, we grew up. I’ve improved my game a lot and now we have another chance.

“We are very calm within the team and trying to do everything OK to be ready to fight.”

Nadal starts against Juan Monaco in today’s opening singles match, following the draw yesterday.

In the second singles match, Spain’s Ferrer will take on Argentina’s Del Potro.

Tomorrow’s doubles match will pit Spanish pair Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez against Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank.

The two final singles rubbers on Sunday will see Nadal meet Del Potro and Ferrer confront Monaco.

Nadal and Ferrer are unbeaten on clay in the Davis Cup, while Verdasco and Lopez, the heroes of the 2008 triumph, will team up once again in the doubles.

Argentina may take heart from the Spanish pair’s last match in the competition, however, as they were thrashed 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 by France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra in the semi-finals in Cordoba.

Nadal caution

Despite benefiting from home advantage and their favoured surface, Nadal insists Spain will need to prepare for the contest as thoroughly as their opponents.

“We’re under the same pressure as they are,” said the former world number one, who has lost just one singles rubber since making his Davis Cup debut in 2004. “We have to win the Davis Cup.”

Spain’s line-up is identical to the one that secured the country’s last Davis Cup title, against the Czech Republic in Barcelona in 2009, but Verdasco knows that Argentina arrive with extra motivation.

“The 2008 final was painful for Argentina, so it’s normal that this time they’ll have special motivation,” he said.

While Spain are bidding for a fifth title, Argentina are hoping to make it fourth time lucky after their previous final defeats in 1981, 2006 and 2008.

“They are favourites with Nadal and Ferrer,” admitted Vazquez.

“But anything can happen. We could lose 1-4 or win 4-1.”