Davis Cup: teams announced for Barcelona final

Tomas Berdych

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Spain and the Czech Republic have both announced strong squads ahead of the 2009 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final, due to take place on December 4.

Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez (with former World No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero waiting in the wings) will feature for Albert Costa’s side, who aim to become the first nation to retain the title since Sweden in 1998.

Standing in their way will be a Czech team made up of two top twenty players in Radek Stepanek and Thomas Berdych, doubles specialist Lukas Dlouhy and talisman Jan Hajek.

Despite holding a lowly ranking of No.102, Hajek holds the enviable record of being the only player ever to have defeated Rafael Nadal in a Davis Cup singles rubber.

Doubles specialist Dlouhy, along with Leander Paes, is the reigning French and US Open doubles champion, and will be hoping to guide his country to their second Davis Cup victory against a Spanish team bursting with singles talent.

With World No.2 Nadal and No.8 Verdasco currently competing at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, seeing out the eight-day event unscathed will doubtless be a priority for both men ahead of the prestigious World Group Final in Barcelona.

Verdasco had been struggling with niggling foot and knee injuries, but has suffered no ill effects so far in competition at London’s O2 Arena.

“I need to see day-by-day how I will feel and then we will see if I am the best option to play”

“I hope that all the matches here at the Masters will be without pain and also I will arrive in Spain to play the Davis Cup feeling good,” he said. “If not, I will not be angry. I just want to win the Final of the Davis Cup and if it’s me playing, and I’m the one, then of course I’ll be so happy.”

Czech Republic’s Radek Stepanek is equally excited at the prospect of competing in the final of the prestigious team event, citing his country’s last and only win as an inspiration to leave Barcelona with the Davis Cup in tow.

“1980 is a huge inspiration for me,” said Stepanek. “Now, we are the inspirations for others which is great for our sport tennis in our country.

“The whole country lives with Davis Cup,” he added. “I believe that every match is important but there are some special moments and this is definitely going to be the most special moment.

“We will definitely give everything we have, and maybe things we don’t have, to bring the trophy back to Czech Republic.”