06 December,2011 10:01 AM IST | | AFP
Spain's fifth Davis Cup title party in 11 years fell flat when Rafael Nadal revealed he'd skip next year's title defence while brother-in-arms David Ferrer called time on his tournament duties.
Rafael Nadal
World No 2 Nadal, who battled back from a set down to defeat Juan Martin del Potro and give Spain victory over Argentina in an epic clash on Sunday, insisted that the defence of his Olympic title must be a priority.
Ferrer, who defeated Del Potro in a marathon five-setter on Friday, said that at 29, his five-year tour of Davis Cup duty was virtually over.
"Next year I will not play. It's an Olympic year. For many years, I have been one of the players that plays the highest number of matches and I don't want to overplay," said Nadal, who racked up a year-leading 82 matches on the ATP Tour in 2011. "I want a coherent calendar. So, next year, my participation in the Davis Cup is impossible. Then we will think about the future," added Nadal.
