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. World number two 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. The double blow, coupled with captain Albert Costa’s uncertainty over his availability and the worrying decline of doubles pairing Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, left Spain looking seriously under-powered for 2012.
“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.” Nadal has built up a record of 20 wins in Davis Cup against just one defeat — and that came on his debut as a 17-year-old in 2004. But he has regularly complained about a jam-packed calendar which this year will afford him just over two weeks rest before he heads for the United Arab Emirates and a lucrative New Year exhibition tournament. After that, the Australian Open will beckon and the start of his campaign to wrest the world number one spot back from Djokovic. World number five Ferrer, meanwhile, turns 30 next year and he said it’s time to hand Davis Cup responsibilities over to another generation. “It’s going to be very difficult for the four of us to play together again,” said Ferrer, who has a record of 18 singles wins against four losses since his debut in 2006.
