This week-end's Davis Cup semifinals will see Rafael Nadal dig into the dwindling reserves of energy to help Spain reach the Davis Cup final while champion Serbia may not even need World No. 1 and Nadal's U.S. Open conqueror Novak Djokovic as it bids to eliminate Argentina.
Nadal arrived in Cordoba admitting he was “a bit tired” after Djokovic wrecked his quest to win an 11th Grand Slam.
“I have played three weeks at the highest level possible. So I've arrived here a bit physically tired. We'll see in the coming days how I feel,” said Nadal, who helped Spain land the “salad bowl” trophy in 2004 at the expense of the United States and was also on the squad which thrashed the Czech Republic in 2009.
Modest
Modest to a fault, Nadal, 25, added that “anyway, (the team) is not just me. We are a team of four players and perhaps the captain will decide that one of my teammates is better prepared than me.”
Spain, which can also call on the services of Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez, did come through the 2008 final away to Argentina without the Mallorcan colossus, but even a Nadal firing on less than full cylinders is an ace in the pack.
France skipper Guy Forget suggests that to beat four-time champion Spain it would have to climb “Everest” as it looks to reach the final for the second straight year.
“They are not unbeatable but it will be very difficult. We know all about Nadal's hunger for tennis even when he is tired and Ferrer behind him is one of the most consistent people around on clay, so Spain are our Everest. We must not submit to their style of play and ensure we can last the distance.”
Spanish counterpart Albert Costa insisted that “France is one of the best teams in the world” but suggested that “the absence of Gael Monfils might weigh heavily.”
Monfils, who beat Janko Tipsarevic before falling to Djokovic in last year's trophy match, is out with a knee injury.
For Costa, “last year's 5-0 in the quarters hurt us — but the context (this season) is completely different. We shall go into it without any feeling of revenge but just past this French team.”
Regarding Nadal's readiness he added “he knows better than anyone how he is feeling. He arrived tired, for sure. But we will see if he can recover and be 100 per cent on Friday. I'm just thankful he has made the effort to be here.”
Costa added: “We have better players than France, but all that means nothing if we don't prove it on court.”
Serbian fans will be asking themselves not just if Djokovic will be called upon, but if he needs to be after beating Nadal once again to make it three Grand Slams this season as well as 64 wins in 66 matches in 2011.
Not invincible
“I am not invincible,” said Djokovic after seeing off Nadal on Monday. The 24-year-old saw last year's Davis Cup win as the catalyst to his recent string of successes.
The fixtures: Semifinals: Serbia v Argentina (Friday: Novak Djokovic v David Nalbandian; Janko Tipsarevic v Juan Martin del Potro; Saturday: Janko Tipsarevic & Nenad Zimonjic v Juan Ignacio Chela & Juan Monaco; Sunday: Djokovic v del Potro; Tipsarevic v Nalbandian).
Spain v France (Friday: Rafael Nadal v Richard Gasquet; David Ferrer v Gilles Simon; Saturday: Feliciano Lopez & Fernando Verdasco v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga & Michael Llodra; Sunday: Nadal v Simon; Ferrer v Gasquet).
