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.
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.
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