Sport - Tennis

Lopez beats del Potro, helps Spain draw level

— Photo: AP

ON SONG: Spain’s Feliciano Lopez comes up with an acrobatic return in his match against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.

MAR DEL PLATA: Feliciano Lopez upset Juan Martin del Potro 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3 for Spain to escape the first day of the Davis Cup final against Argentina tied 1-1 on Friday.

David Nalbandian had brushed aside Spain No. 1 David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the opening singles, and del Potro was expected to comfortably handle Lopez on his favored hard-court.

But Lopez handled the two tie-breakers better, and del Potro injured his right thigh in the sixth game of the fourth set.

After treatment, he resumed and lost his service game and Lopez cruised to a memorable victory after 3 hours, 19 minutes, hushing the boisterous crowd at Islas Malvinas Stadium.

After winning the first set, del Potro couldn’t break Lopez again in the second as they headed into a tie-breaker. There, Lopez jumped to 4-0 and won it 7-2.

There were no breaks either in the third, in which Lopez won five straight points in the tiebreaker and clinched the set with one of his 17 aces that silenced the 10,000-strong crowd.

In the fourth set, Lopez broke del Potro in the fourth game but del Potro came right back with a break of his own.

Del Potro was trying to reach a crosscourt shot on the baseline when he injured himself. He left the court to be attended by doctors but when he returned he was obviously affected by the injury.

Lopez’s win bolstered Spain’s hopes of winning its third Davis Cup, and first away from home.

After star Rafael Nadal withdrew with knee tendinitis this month, Spain’s chances were diminished considerably, but it promised to fight for every point.

Ferrer, however, was routed by Nalbandian in under two hours.

Nalbandian broke Ferrer in the third game and led all the way, hitting 54 winners and making only 27 unforced errors.

“I played a great match,” Nalbandian said after his 17th in 21 Davis Cup singles. “I couldn’t have played it any better. It was good to win it fast. I was always ahead, that gave me tranquillity.”

Ferrer still leads their head-to-heads at 6-4, but all of Nalbandian’s wins have been on hard-courts.

“No match against David is easy but I didn’t have good feelings on the court,” Ferrer said.

The results: Argentina tied with Spain 1-1 (David Nalbandian bt David Ferrer 6-3 6-2 6-3; Juan Martin del Potro lost to Feliciano Lopez 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3). — AP

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu