Nadal out of Davis Cup final
Spain's world number one Rafael Nadal on Monday confirmed he will not
compete in the Davis Cup final against Argentina this month due to a
knee injury.
He made the announcement at a press conference in Barcelona after
receiving the results of new tests on the tendinitis in his right knee.
"After a long and very positive season, it pains me to miss the two
main objectives of the year, the Shanghai (Masters) and Davis (Cup)
final," he said.
"This is a difficult time, but I have done everything possible to try
and make this final.
"I am used to playing with pain, but this is a new and different kind
of pain, which I can't manage to control," he told the press conference,
next to the chief doctor of the Spanish Tennis Federation, Angel Ruiz
Cotorro.
His absence in the November 21-23 Davis Cup final in the Argentine
city of Mar del Plata would be a boost to the home side in its hopes of
winning the cup for the first time.
Skipper Alberto Mancini concurred with that assessment.
"It's a point in our favour," he admitted.
"I feel for him - but it's good news. All the Argentines want to see
Nadal - but they also want to win the Davis Cup in with him not there
it's a point in our favour," Mancini told Radio Continental.
Nadal convincingly won both his singles matches when Spain beat Davis
Cup holders USA 4-1 in Madrid in last month's semi-final to book a place
in the final. Argentina qualified with a 3-2 defeat of Russia.
It will be Spain's sixth appearance in the final of the Davis Cup,
which they have won twice, in 2000 and in 2004, when Nadal, then just 18
and relatively unknown, beat the then world number two Andy Roddick.
Nadal, 22, landed a fourth straight French Open title and a first
Wimbledon crown this season to dethrone Roger Federer from world top
spot.
But the knee injury had forced Nadal to skip the season-ending
Shanghai Masters Cup.
His coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, had earlier told the sports daily
Marca there "very little chance" of him in the final.
BARCELONA, Spain, Tuesday (AFP)
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