Mar Del Plata (Argentina): Captain Alberto Mancini was only too happy to accept David Nalbandian's offer to play the doubles against Spain on Saturday after Argentina finished the first day of the Davis Cup final tied 1-1.
Nalbandian quickly made himself available after dominating David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the opening match on Friday.
He initially wasn't scheduled to play the doubles, and Mancini had warned before the tie that he wouldn't risk Nalbandian in the doubles if it would tire him for Sunday's reverse singles.
But Nalbandian unexpectedly won so convincingly in less than two hours that Mancini paired him with Agustin Calleri against the tough Spanish duo of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco.
"It was a relatively short (singles) match," Nalbandian said. "I'll be ready (for tomorrow). I feel good."
Nalbandian has played all three days of a tie five times in his career, and always successfully until the semifinal against Russia in September. Drained after an opening singles win over Igor Andreev, he lost a five-set doubles match, his first loss on clay and first loss at home in his Davis Cup career. He then lost his reverse singles in four sets but teammate Juan Martin del Potro clinched the tie in the fifth rubber.
This time, Nalbandian feels much fresher.
He has a 10-4 doubles record, and was 2-1 with Calleri, though they haven't played together since the 2006 final loss to Russia.
Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said he will stick with Lopez in the doubles even though he needed more than three hours to close out Juan Martin del Potro in the second singles.
"It's the pairing which has done the best for us, so we will stick to it tomorrow (Saturday)," Sanchez Vicario said.
Lopez and Verdasco have a 3-3 record, including a 12-10 fifth-set win over Switzerland last year.
Worrisome injury
Juan Martin del Potro's upset loss to Feliciano Lopez could be magnified depending on the seriousness of a right thigh injury that could jeopardize his participation in the rest of the Davis Cup final.
Near the end of an intense and difficult match against Lopez, del Potro gave a scare to the nearly 10,000 fans packing Isla Malvinas Stadium while trying to reach a crosscourt shot on the baseline. He immediately put his hand on the thigh and was visibly in pain.
He left the court to be attended by doctors but when he returned he was obviously affected by the injury. Del Potro was limping mildly after losing in four sets.
"The doctor just saw me but he can't give a diagnosis without more tests so I don't know what is wrong with me," del Potro said. "I think I'm OK but I am tired. At this time of the year all the players feel the same."
Argentina's top-ranked player at No. 9, del Potro won the first set, but could not keep up with the solid Lopez. He was trailing 3-2, 0-15 when he was injured.
"Things like that happen," del Potro said. "But nobody died, it's only a tennis match, even though it is important."
Right move
Feliciano Lopez's stunning win over Juan Martin del Potro kept alive underdog Spain's hopes in the Davis Cup final, but he almost wasn't picked for the match.
Captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said he wasn't sure who to choose between Lopez and Fernando Verdasco.
"Many times you take decisions and do what you can but you don't get a prize," Sanchez Vicario said. "The difference between the two players was very small but I thought Feliciano's game would adapt better to this surface. Fernando was trying very hard to get his place but Feliciano was slightly better."
Lopez justified his captain's choice by winning 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-3 in 3 hours, 19 minutes.
"I never felt this happy before in my career," Lopez said. "It's great to win a match like today, in a Davis Cup final, away from home."
If Lopez had lost, the Spaniards would need to win all remaining matches in the best-of-five final to keep the Argentines from clinching their first title.
Lopez is set to close play on Sunday, against David Nalbandian, who beat David Ferrer in the first singles.
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