Rafael Nadal

The Tennistalk panel has voted and the writers have spoken. After an almost unanimous vote, the Australian Open semifinal between Nadal and Verdasco has been named the 2009 ATP Tour Match of the Year.  

Despite passions on both sides for the Davis Cup, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal could both conceivably be question marks for the 2010 first-round tie in Spain between the two-time defending champs and Switzerland.  

In a celebration of the best tennis of 2009, it is invariably the victor who wins the plaudits. But the greatest and most memorable matches are not the easy wins, the one-sided demolitions, the over-in-a-flash triumphs. They are the gladiatorial, lay-it-all-on-the-line, battle-to-the-death nail-biters. Such duels bring not just drama to the tennis court but often some of the greatest quality, as one player seeks to find just a little bit more...  

From left, Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo, Feliciano Lopez, Rafael Nadal, and David Ferrer, members of the Spanish Davis Cup tennis team wait for Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero... (Associated Press) Fernando Verdasco, left ...  

David Nalbandian began the 2009 season in style, winning the Sydney title. Rafael Nadal began his 2009 campaign with a loss to Gael Monfils in Doha, but seemed invincible after winning his first hard-court Grand Slam in Melbourne. In mid-March, they met in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Well. Before that match, the head-to-head record between them was 2-0, advantage Nalbandian. In fact, they only met twice in 2007, with...  

Former world No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal handled the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in straight sets Friday to give reigning champion/host Spain a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five 2009 Davis Cup final. The world No. 2 Australian Open champion Nadal beat ...  

Roddick, 27, the men’s world number seven, has had discussions with Williams, 28, the women’s number one. And Roddick said on Twitter: “It’s confirmed! Serena and Andy teaming up for mixed doubles at 2012 games if they push the mixed doubles through.” The tennis events at London 2012 will take place on Wimbledon’s grass courts. The International Olympic [...]  

Live Streaming Tennis match between Rafael Nadal vs Tomas Berdych live on 04 December 2009 from 15:00 GMT. Rafael Nadal will open Spain’s defense of their 2008 Davis Cup title when the finals begin Friday in Barcelona. Nadal’s foe from the ...  

You can lament the length of the season. You can mourn a confusing ranking system, greedy administrators and tape-delayed broadcasts. You can mourn the corruption of the word "retirement." But say this about tennis: It's never boring. This year's episodes included cocaine kisses, crystal meth cover-ups, unraveling hairpieces, no-fault foot faults, and $9 million payoffs.  

Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych 2009 Davis Cup Final Betting Odds: This certainly is not the way former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal envisioned his season would go, even considering his knee injuries earlier in the year. Nevertheless, the second ranked ...  

RAFAEL Nadal has ended a depressing winless streak with a spectacular Davis Cup final display to help put Spain 2-0 up over Czech Republic. The Australian Open champion emerged from the darkness of four successive straight sets defeats on the ATP ...  

Return with us now to those thrilling matches of yesterday when the hero won facing an inspired opponent and often impossible odds.  Who gave the best performance by a male tennis player in 2009?  The list awaits—arranged in chronological order.  You read, you judge and then you vote.    (1) Rafael Nadal —Finals 2009 Australian Open Unbreakable. Roger told the world later that he didn’t expect to "ever" be in a fifth set with Rafa in the...  

The winners of the 2009 Davis Cup tennis tournament Rafael Nadal(L) and David Ferrer sign a shirt for Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero during a ceremony honoring the Spanish team at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid  

Too easy: Rafael Nadal mae it 4-0 to Spain on celebratory day in Barcelona Photo: GETTY IMAGES Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches on Sunday at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as Spain won for the fourth time since 2000 ...  

ATHLETE OF THE DECADE: Numbers, and there are plenty, don't do justice to Federer's Grand run Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal - sport - United States - Travel and Tourism  

• Rafael Nadal rediscovers his clay-court best• David Ferrer recovers from two sets downSpain, attempting to win the Davis Cup for the fourth time in the last 10 years, took what appeared to be an unassailable 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic on the opening day of the final in Barcelona. Rafael Nadal, playing his first match on clay since his defeat by Robin Soderling in the fourth round at Roland Garros in the spring – his first ever at the...  

This is not a good time to be a part of the Vamos brigade. Rafael Nadal is still not in the form which had almost made him invincible in the earlier part of the year, boasting only one victory out of his last twelve meetings with a player inside top-ten. He continues to suffer against his nemesis Robin Soderling and is starting to wonder the next time he can win a set against Nikolay Davydenko. Judgements about Nadal being finished are...  

Rafael Nadal closed out his most challenging season with another title, ending a four-match losing streak by earning two points for Spain in the Davis Cup final. Nadal opened the best-of-five series on indoor clay with a victory over Tomas Berdych ...  

Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer completed Spain's Davis Cup whitewash over the Czech Republic on Sunday. Defending champions Spain had sealed their fourth Davis Cup title on Saturday when the doubles pair of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez ...  

• Rafael Nadal beats Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-4• Spain lead Czech Republic 4-0Rafael Nadal won the fourth rubber to add further gloss to Spain's convincing victory over Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final.Spain retained the Davis Cup with yesterday's doubles victory in Barcelona earning an unassailable 3-0 lead over their opponents. After Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer's singles on Friday - the latter after coming from two sets and a break down to...  

SPAIN completed a 5-0 Davis Cup final victory over the Czech Republic as Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer eased to straight-sets wins. Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez ensured Spain would retain the trophy by winning the doubles rubber, meaning the ...  

Rafael Nadal kicks off Spain's campaign to retain the Davis Cup title this afternoon when he faces Tomas Berdych. Despite a poor run of form recently Spain's captain Albert Costa has kept the faith with the world number two as they face the Czech ...  

(AP) Rafael Nadal closed out his most challenging season with another title, ending a four-match losing streak by earning two points for Spain in the Davis Cup final. Nadal opened the best-of-five series on indoor clay with a victory over Tomas ...  

B ARCELONA, Spain — Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Friday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game on his way to taking the ...  

Spain's Rafael Nadal reacts during his singles match of the Davis Cup tennis final against Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic, at Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Rafael Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych ...  

• Spaniard hoping to end disappointing season on a high• Event will mean rematch of bad-tempered Nadal v Berdych tieAfter four straight defeats, Rafael Nadal returns to his favourite clay surface when he plays Tomas Berdych in the opening match of the Davis Cup final on Friday as Spain bid to retain the title against the Czech Republic.Nadal, a four-times French Open champion, is looking forward to returning to the surface after failing to win...  

Roger Federer of Switzerland poses next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris after he broke through in June with his first French Open title. 1. Roger Federer: 4 titles, 61-12 record. 2. Rafael Nadal: 5 titles, 64-14 record. 3. Novak Djokovic: 5 titles, 78 ...  

BARCELONA: Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer completed Spain's Davis Cup whitewash over the Czech Republic yesterday. Defending champions Spain had sealed their fourth Davis Cup title on Saturday when the doubles pair of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano ...  

Australian Open Final 2009—Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal Nadal defeats Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2 In a calender year which spans through 11 months and six continents, choosing one stand out match from the 68 tournaments played is a daunting task to say the least. Backtracking through my recent memories of on-court action, I find myself drawing a certain interest, or bond if you will to this years Australian Open final. Not only did...  

Spain completed a 5-0 Davis Cup final victory over the Czech Republic today as Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer eased to straight-sets wins. Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez ensured Spain would retain the trophy by winning the doubles rubber ...  

Rafael Nadal celebrates a point during his opening Davis Cup match at Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Rafael Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 Friday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech ...  

BARCELONA -- Spain completed a 5-0 Davis Cup final victory over Czech Republic with Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer enjoying easy singles wins on Sunday. Nadal, who set Spain on their way to victory by winning the first point against Tomas Berdych on ...  

Rafael Nadal's commanding win over Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer's epic comeback against Radek Stepanek had taken Spain to the brink of victory by Friday night and Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco combined to complete the job. The two left ...  

Nadal, Ferrer complete sweep of Czech Republic BARCELONA, Spain (AP)—Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5 0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both  

Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer have pulled off a Spanish Davis Cup whitewash over the Czech Republic in Barcelona. Defending champion Spain had sealed its fourth title a day earlier when the doubles pair of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez ...  

Spain completed a 5-0 Davis Cup final victory over the Czech Republic as Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer eased to straight-sets wins. Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez ensured Spain would retain the trophy by winning the doubles rubber on Saturday ...  

(L to R) Spain's Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, captain Albert Costa and Fernando Verdasco hold their trophy after winning the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic at palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. Nadal and Ferrer completed Spain's 5 ...  

BARCELONA — Spain’s second straight Davis Cup win showed its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7) 7-5 6-2 on Saturday for Spain to ...  

Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Friday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Radek Stepanek will look to even the best-of-five series later Friday when he plays David Ferrer.  

Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-0 6-2 and David Ferrer rallied for an improbable 1-6 2-6 6-4 6-4 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek to give the defending champion Spain a commanding 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic ...  

Barcelona: Revitalised Rafael Nadal ran off 13 straight games during a rout of Tomas Berdych Friday, a mere warm-up for an heroic four-hours-plus win from teammate David Ferrer, which pulled Spain into 2-0 command of the Davis Cup final with the ...  

BARCELONA – Spain won its fourth Davis Cup title Saturday when Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez took the doubles to give the team an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer completed Spain’s Davis Cup ...  

The battleground is daubed in red. The atmosphere flamboyant. It is time for the battle to begin. One of them, the more muscular one, attempts to pulls a lever at his side of the battlefield. It seems very cumbersome, and though every other competitor knows its existence, no one ever tries a hand at it. For they know what it is that it takes to pull it all the way. The effort expended at it is just not worth the effort. It most probably is...  

From left, Spanish players David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal and team captain Albert Costa celebrate after winning the Davis cup final against the Czech Republic in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday. Spain lifted the Davis Cup ...  

Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches on Sunday at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as ...  

Spain earns its fourth title since 2000: Spain won its second consecutive Davis Cup and showed its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (9-7 ...  

Rafael Nadal returns to his favourite clay surface in the Davis Cup final in Barcelona today. With Spain bidding to retain their title against the Czech Republic, Nadal, who has lost four straight matches in London and in Paris, opens against Tomas ...  

Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer completed Spain's Davis Cup whitewash over the Czech Republic here on Sunday.Defending champions Spain had sealed their fourth Davis Cup title on Saturday when the doubles pair of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez demolished their Czech opponents to give the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead.And world number two Nadal and Ferrer completed the job on Sunday by beating Jan Hajek and Lukas Dlouhy respectively for a...  

Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as Spain won ...  

David Ferrer rallied for an improbable victory over Radek Stepanek on Friday, while Rafael Nadal won his opening match for defending champion Spain to take a 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.  

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in a Singles match during the Barclays ATP World Tour Tennis Finals in London. Djokovic kept alive his hopes of reaching the last four of the ATP World Tour Finals as the defending champion ...  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Spain's second straight Davis Cup win showed its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 Saturday for Spain ...  

Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2, on clay yesterday to give the ...  

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his victory over Jan Hajek of Czech Republic during their Davis Cup tennis Final at Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. Rafael Nadal beat Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-4 Sunday to stretch Davis Cup ...  

BARCELONA, Spain - Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the ...  

(AP) BARCELONA, Spain - Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi on Sunday to ...  

BARCELONA, Spain – Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay ...  

(From L) Spain's players Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, team captain Albert Costa and Fernando Verdasco celebrate after winning the Davis cup final against Czech Republic at palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on December 6, 2009. Spain won 5 ...  

It seems barely five minutes since the new millennium opened before us. The doom-laden predictions of world-wide disaster caused by the collapse of every computer failed to materialise. Indeed, life fell in thrall to smaller and smaller gadgets with bigger and bigger brains. Men’s tennis, too, was about to accelerate into a new phase, as the familiar faces and games of the 1990s—Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter and Stefan Edberg—gave way...  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (9-7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay Saturday to give the Spaniards an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Spain captured its fourth title since 2000 and is the first repeat winner since Sweden 11 years ago.  

The Spanish team, represented among the others by World's No.2 Rafael Nadal will take on the Czechs at their home stadium Palau Sant Jordi in Spain. The draws look as follows: Day 1: Rafael Nadal (Spain) vs. Tomas Berdych (the Czech Republic) Day 2 ...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain won its second straight Davis Cup, and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 Saturday ...  

Roger Federer is the only member of the world's top four left in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals after Novak Djokovic went the way of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray here last night. In today's semi-finals the world No 1 will face Nikolay Davydenko, while Juan Martin del Potro will play Robin Soderling. Related StoriesNadal slumps to third straight defeatNadal leaves London at a fresh lowNadal leaves London at fresh low after latest defeat  

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer completed Spain's Davis Cup final whitewash over the Czech Republic in Barcelona on Sunday. Defending champions Spain had sealed their fourth Davis Cup title on Saturday when the doubles pair of Fernando ...  

BARCELONA: Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Friday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game on his way to taking the tight ...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Defending champion Spain took a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final after David Ferrer rallied for a 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek on Friday. Earlier, Rafael Nadal relied on his usual ...  

Novak Djokovic completed Rafael Nadal\'s ATP World Tour Finals misery on Friday with a 76 63 defeat of the Spaniard but saw his semifinal hopes dashed when Nikolay Davydenko qualified by beating Robin Soderling to complete Group B.  

Spaniard Rafael Nadal won 12 consecutive games en route to a straight-set victory in the opener of the best-of-five Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic. Nadal's 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 win over Tomas Berdych put Spain up 1-0 and two wins away from ...  

Spanish Davis Cup team assistant coach, Francis Roig, left, and coach Albert Costa, center, pose with squad members, from left to right, Fernando Verdasco, Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal and Feliciano Lopez, during a press conference ...  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as Spain won for the fourth time since 2000 while becoming the first nation since Sweden in 1998 to retain the title.  

With the 16,200 crowd offering noisy support around the clay court at the indoor Palau Sant Jordi, Nadal played his way out of a spot of early trouble before rediscovering his best form. Serving to stay in the first set at 4-5, the Mallorcan slipped ...  

Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches on Sunday at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as ...  

After four straight defeats, Rafael Nadal returns to his favourite clay surface when he plays Tomas Berdych in the opening match of the Davis Cup on Friday as Spain sets out to defend its title against the Czech Republic.  

LONDON - NOVAK Djokovic kept alive his hopes of reaching the last four of the ATP World Tour Finals as the defending champion defeated Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 on Friday.With Sweden's Robin Soderling already through from Group B and Nadal out after successive defeats, Djokovic is competing with Nikolay Davydenko for the last semi-final spot at the prestigious season finale.  

Spain tennis team from left to right: Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal, Albert Costa pose with the trophy after the draw for the Davis Cup at Sant Jordi stadium in Barcelona,... (Associated Press) Spain's tennis team ...  

The Czech men’s tennis team failed to repeat the success of Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup in 1980, losing 5:0 to Spain in the final in Barcelona at the weekend. Things started poorly when Tomáš Berdych lost to Rafael Nadal, and got worse when David Ferrer dispatched the Czechs’ other star name, Radek Štěpánek. When that pairing lost to Spain in Saturday’s doubles, it was all over, and the Czech coach gave a run to the relatively...  

BARCELONA — Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 yesterday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game on his way to taking the tight ...  

BARCELONA, Spain -- Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi on Sunday to ...  

The #1 moment of Ana Ivanovic's career as of December 2009 is her first and so far only grand slam title at Roland Garros in June of 2008. Lets first recap Ana's run in the tournament.Ana cruised through the first five rounds of the ...  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — David Ferrer rallied for a 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek to give defending champion Spain a 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic. Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 in ...  

Barcelona, Dec 3 (DPA) Fernando Verdasco was sensationally left out of Friday's singles at the Davis Cup final for Spain, with David Ferrer joining Rafael Nadal in the opening-day attack against the Czech Republic. World number nine Verdasco had been ...  

Holders Spain, led by world number two Rafael Nadal, on Thursday preferred David Ferrer to Fernando Verdasco in their opening singles rubber against the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final starting here on Friday. Verdasco, the world number nine ...  

SPAIN were 1.17 on Betfair early last night to keep hold of the Davis Cup after Rafael Nadal gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the final with a straight-sets victory over the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in Barcelona, writes Adrian Humphries. Nadal, who ...  

Barclays ATP World Tour Final—London No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic handed No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal his third straight loss of the Tour finale on Friday, defeating the Spaniard 7-6 (5), 6-3. Djokovic, who desperately needed a win over Nadal to keep his hopes alive of advancing to the weekend's semifinals, prevailed in a back-and-forth opening first set which featured two breaks of serve by both players. Djokovic began the contest with an early break...  

Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 today to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game on his way to taking the tight first set, and ...  

Rafael Nadal ended his losing run with victory over Tomas Berdych as Spain took an early lead over Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. The world number two won 7-5 6-0 6-2 to end a run of four straight defeats, with David Ferrer to play Radek ...  

TENNIS DAVIS CUP: SPAIN COMPLETED a 5-0 Davis Cup final victory over the Czech Republic with Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer enjoying easy singles wins in Barcelona yesterday. Nadal, who set Spain on their way to victory by winning the first point ...  

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer rallied over Radek Stepanek to give Spain a 2-0 lead against the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup tennis final. Nadal won 7-5, 6-0, 6-2, showing flashes of his best shot- making as ...  

Rafael Nadal will play Tomas Berdych in the opening match of the Davis Cup when Spain tries to defend its title against the Czech Republic. In the second singles match of the best-of-five series that starts Friday, David Ferrer will face Radek ...  

BARCELONA – Rafael Nadal made a thrilling return to form to sweep aside Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 and give Spain a 1-0 lead over Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final Friday. Roared on by a boisterous home crowd at the indoor Palau Sant Jordi and ...  

Barcelona, Dec 3 (DPA) Fernando Verdasco was sensationally left out of Friday's singles at the Davis Cup final for Spain, with David Ferrer joining Rafael Nadal in the opening-day attack against the Czech Republic.  

Novak Djokovic kept alive his chances of reaching the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals, beating Rafael Nadal 7-6 (5), 6-3 Friday for the Spaniard's third straight loss. Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and Robin Soderling have clinched spots in the final four of the season-ending tournament. Djokovic won for the second time in the round-robin phase. For the third-ranked Serb to advance, Soderling must beat Nikolay Davydenko in the...  

Davis Cup Final—Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona World No. 2 Rafael Nadal improved his year-to-date record to 66-14 on Sunday, defeating an over-matched Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-4 in the final day of Davis Cup competition. Nadal, who defeated Tomas Berdych on Friday, remained in complete control of his No. 102 ranked opponent on Sunday, breaking once in the first set in the third game to lead 3-0, and subsequently in the ninth game of the second set to...  

David Ferrer produced an epic comeback to beat Radek Stepanek and put Spain 2-0 up in the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic on Friday after Rafael Nadal's [ Images ] earlier victory had given the hosts an ideal start. Nadal, relishing a return ...  

Spain go into this weekend's final as defending champions and with every reason to relish the prospect of a return to Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi, the indoor arena that played host to their first Davis Cup final win in 2000. Nadal has been ...  

Nadal, who set Spain on their way to victory in the tie by winning the first point on Friday, returned to the clay court at the Palau Sant Jordi to help himself to a second singles win. The world number two, back fit and in form at the end of an ...  

Barcelona - Rafael Nadal put holder Spain into solid 1-0 command of the Davis Cup final with the Czech Republic Friday, crushing Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 in the first singles rubber. The one-way defeat tossed aside losses in his four previous ...  

Barcelona - Rafael Nadal put holder Spain into solid 1-0 command of the Davis Cup final with the Czech Republic Friday, crushing Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 in the first singles rubber. The one-way defeat tossed aside losses in his four previous ...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete...  

Monte Carlo, Dec 2 (DPA) Novak Djokovic will take a page from the Roger Federer playbook and trim his 2010 schedule in an effort to close the ranking gap on number two Rafael Nadal. The Serb finished this season with the most wins on the ATP but wants to do even more when the new [...]  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Friday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game on his way to taking ...  

Barcelona, Spain (AHN) - Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 and David Ferrer battled back to topple Radek Stepanek 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 in a match that took over four hours to give Spain a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic at the Davis ...  

Rafael Nadal rediscovered his top form at the right time to brush aside Tomas Berdych in straight sets and give Spain the early advantage in their Davis Cup final defense against the Czech Republic in Barcelona.  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 on Friday to give defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game on his way to taking ...  

BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Spaniard Rafael Nadal won 12 consecutive games en route to a straight-set victory in the opener of the best-of-five Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic.  

Former world No. 1 stalwart Rafael Nadal and former Top-10 star David Ferrer were a pair of winners on Friday, as reigning champion/host Spain grabbed a commanding 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the best-of-five 2009 Davis Cup final. The world ...  

Team Spain, led by former top-ranked superstar Rafael Nadal, swept the visiting Czech Republic 5-0 in last week's Davis Cup final in Barcelona, with the title marking Spain's fourth of the decade. Costa was on Spain's first Davis Cup-winning team in ...  

David Ferrer has been preferred to Fernando Verdasco for the second singles spot in Spain's Davis Cup final team. The defending champions, who are led by Rafael Nadal, take on the Czech Republic in Barcelona in the three-day clash, which begins ...  

Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final in Barcelona. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as Spain won for ...  

BARCELONA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 06: Spanish players David Ferrer (L) team captain Albert Costa (C) Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco (R) celebrate with the Davis Cup trophy at the end of the final match between Spain and Czech Republic at the Palau Sant ...  

The fans are getting worried. The media have begun to discuss it openly. And this week, at London’s O2 arena, it was the first topic on the lips of almost every spectator—and not just between his fans. The subject of all this attention is the diminishing musculature of Rafael Nadal since his extended break with tendinitis over the summer. So in the light of Nadal’s poor results during the Round Robin phase of the World Tour Finals, is there...  

BARCELONA - SPANISH tennis star Rafael Nadal says his football-playing countrymen must remain humble despite being drawn in a seemingly unthreatening World Cup group alongside Honduras, Chile and Switzerland.'It is not a bad draw for us,' he said after beating Tomas Berdych in the opening singles match of the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic here on Friday, a game which ended shortly before the World Cup draw took place in Cape Town.  

BARCELONA, Spain -- Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi on Sunday to ...  

After four straight defeats, Rafael Nadal returns to his favourite clay surface when he plays Tomas Berdych in the opening match of the Davis Cup on Friday as Spain sets out to defend its title against the Czech Republic.  

Barcelona - Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco will hope to have put a combined six defeats at last week's season-ending ATP event in London well behind them as the pair lead Spain into the weekend'sDavis Cup final against the Czech Republic. With ...  

BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will go against the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in the first match of the best-of-five Davis Cup final in Spain.  

Spain secured a fourth Davis Cup win and confirmed their status as the team of the decade by extending their lead over Czech Republic to an unassailable 3-0 in Sunday's doubles. Rafael Nadal's commanding win over Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer's ...  

Top-ranked Roger Federer loses to Nikolay Davydenko in semifinals of ATP finals Roger Federer - Nikolay Davydenko - Rafael Nadal - Andy Murray - Novak Djokovic  

Novak Djokovic kept alive his chances of reaching the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals, beating Rafael Nadal 7-6 (5), 6-3 Friday for the Spaniard's third straight loss. Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro and Robin Soderling have clinched spots in the final four of the season-ending tournament.  

Swedish tennis star Robin Söderling was beaten by Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3 on Friday at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. But two heavyweight wins earlier in the week secure his semi-final place against Juan Martin Del Potro.  

Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal handled the Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych in straight sets Friday to give reigning champion/host Spain a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five 2009 Davis Cup final. The world No. 2 ...  

Dec 6 - Spain v Czech Republic - Davis Cup final scores from Barcelona on Sunday (prefix denotes seeding). 2-Spain lead Czech Republic 4-0 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-4 Played on Saturday Feliciano Lopez/Fernando ...  

BARCELONA - AFTER four straight defeats, Rafael Nadal returns to his favorite clay surface when he plays Tomas Berdych in the opening match of the Davis Cup final on Friday as Spain bids to retain its title against the Czech Republic. Nadal, a four ...  

Numarul doi mondial in clasamentul ATP, Rafael Nadal da ultimul test al sezonului, in incercarea de a aduce Spaniei cel de-al patrulea trofeu de Cupa Davis. Ibericii intalnesc in faza finala, in perioada 4-6 decembrie, la Palau Sant Jordi din Barcelona, reprezentativa Cehiei. "Rafa este putin atins emotional dupa eliminarea de la Turneul Campionilor, dar sper ca isi va reveni", a declarat antrenorul sau, Toni Nadal.  

Rafael Nadal rediscovered his top form at the right time to brush aside Tomas Berdych and give Spain the early advantage in their Davis Cup final defence against the Czech Republic in Barcelona.  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain lifted the Davis Cup for the second straight year on Sunday after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi on Sunday to ...  

Spain, showing again that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal , won its second consecutive Davis Cup on Saturday in Barcelona. Nadal, the four-time French Open champion, beat Berdych in Friday's singles. He missed last year's final victory ...  

Spain's Rafael Nadal (left) poses with Czech Republic's Radek Stepanek in f... Members of the Spanish team: (from left) Feliciano Lopez, David Ferrer, Fer... Members of Czech Republic team: (from left) Jaroslav Navratil, Radek Stepan... Weary world ...  

Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during the opening match of the Davis Cup final on Friday at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain. David Ferrer beat marathon man Radek Stepanek at his own game to put Spain 2-0 ...  

Rafael Nadal rediscovered his top form at the right time to brush aside Tomas Berdych and give Spain the early advantage in their Davis Cup final defence against the Czech Republic in Barcelona. Nadal - who failed to win in three attempts in the ATP ...  

Spain's number one Rafael Nadal serves against Tomas Berdych of the Czeck Republic during the first match of the Davis Cup Final at the Palau Sant Jordi Court in Barcelona Friday. Nadal won 7-5; 6-0; 6-2.Photo: AFP Afp, Barcelona Spain were on course ...  

Barcelona - Fernando Verdasco was sensationally left out of Friday's singles at the Davis Cup final for Spain, with David Ferrer joining Rafael Nadal in the opening-day attack against the Czech Republic. World number nine Verdasco had been cleared by ...  

Roger Federer waged war with David Nalbandian throughout his junior and professional tennis career.  The Argentine prided himself on being the first to have “Federer’s number.”  These were days before Rafael Nadal supplanted the underachieving Nalbandian as Federer’s chief antagonizer—preying on the mind of the Swiss Maestro. The great Nalbandian not only possessed a keen tennis mind, but was renowned as one of the cleanest ball strikers in...  

Rafael Nadal rediscovered his top form at the right time to brush aside Tomas Berdych and give Spain the early advantage in their Davis Cup final defence against the Czech Republic in Barcelona. Nadal - who failed to win in three attempts in the ATP ...  

BARCELONA, Spain - Spain lead 1-0 against the Czech Republic in the final of the Davis Cup after Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the opening singles match here on Friday.  

Spain lead 1-0 against the Czech Republic in the final of the Davis Cup after Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the opening singles match here on Friday.After an awkward start, world number two Nadal compensated for a tense exchange of service breaks in the first few games of the match by winning 13 straight games from 5-5 in the first set.Berdych, ranked 20th in the world, faded badly and was powerless to stop the match...  

With his mind already set on 2010 with training resuming at home on the island of Mallorca, Rafael Nadal has voiced a thought which tennis officials might be wise to consider - an optional portion of the long ATP season.  

Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay Saturday to give the ...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay ...  

LONDON (AP) -- With one week to go before Spain attempts to defend its Davis Cup title against the Czech Republic, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco -- the country's two best players -- are struggling to find a way to win.  

BARCELONA, Spain (AP)—Rafael Nadal closed out his most challenging season with another title, ending a four-match losing streak by earning two points for Spain in the Davis Cup final. Nadal opened the best-of-five series on indoor clay with a victory over Tomas Berdych. He then beat Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-4 Sunday at Palau Sant Jordi to help Spain close out its 5-0 win over the Czech Republic. ``To finish the second half of the season with this...  

AFP – The winners of the 2009 Davis Cup tennis tournament Rafael Nadal(L) and David Ferrer sign a shirt for … 1 hr 7 mins ago MADRID (AFP) – Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Monday honoured his country's tennis team after they ...  

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych to give Spain a 1-0 lead against the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup tennis final. Nadal won 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 showing flashes of his best shot- making as the best-of-five series began in Barcelona ...  

London: World No 1 Roger Federer has tipped Spain to win the 2009 Davis Cup final in Barcelona next week. "For some reason, I still favour the Spaniards to win the Davis Cup, even if they don't have [Rafael] Nadal and [Fernando] Verdasco," Federer ...  

Earlier, Rafael Nadal relied on his usual dogged determination and timely shot-making to beat Tomas Berdych, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2, in the first singles match on the clay court at the Palau Sant Jordi. Stepanek appeared to be on his way to tying the best-of ...  

BARCELONA, Spain | Rafael Nadal closed out his most challenging season with another title, ending a four-match losing streak by earning two points for Spain in the Davis Cup final. Nadal opened the best-of-five series on indoor clay with a victory ...  

BARCELONA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal made a thrilling return to form to sweep aside Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-0 6-2 to give Spain a 1-0 lead over Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final on Friday. Nadal, who failed to win a set in three defeats at the ...  

BARCELONA, Spain — David Ferrer rallied for an improbable 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek on Friday for defending champion Spain to take a 2-0 lead in the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic. Rafael Nadal beat Tomas ...  

Novak Djokovic kept alive his hopes of reaching the last four of the ATP World Tour Finals as the defending champion defeated Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 on Friday.With Sweden's Robin Soderling already through from Group B and Nadal out after successive defeats, Djokovic is competing with Nikolay Davydenko for the last semi-final spot at the prestigious season finale.Djokovic already knew his fate was out of his hands as even this victory over...  

Robin Soderling claimed his second big victory at the ATP World Tour Finals as the Swede defeated reigning champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 ... of an injury to Andy Roddick, but his victory over Rafael Nadal in his opening match made it clear ...  

BARCELONA, Spain: Rafael Nadal closed out his most challenging season with another title, ending a four-match losing streak by earning two points for Spain in the Davis Cup final. Nadal opened the best-of-five series on indoor clay with a victory ...  

Defending champion Spain took a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final after David Ferrer rallied for a 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek on Friday. Earlier, Rafael Nadal relied on his usual dogged determination and ...  

Rafael Nadal rediscovered his top form at the right time to brush aside Tomas Berdych and give Spain the early advantage in their Davis Cup final defence against the Czech Republic in Barcelona.  

Rafael Nadal rediscovered his top form at the right time to brush aside Tomas Berdych and give Spain the early advantage in their Davis Cup final defence against the Czech Republic in Barcelona.  

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays guitar with his racket after his victory over Rafael Nadal of Spain during their ATP World Tour Finals match at the O2 Arena in London on Friday. Nikolay Davydenko clinched the last semi-final berth at the ATP World ...  

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Spain v Czech Republic - Davis Cup final scores from Barcelona on Saturday. 2-Spain beat Czech Republic 3-0 Feliciano Lopez/Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 7-6(7) 7-5 6-2 Played on Friday ...  

BARCELONA, Spain - Defending champion Spain took a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final after David Ferrer rallied for a 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek on Friday. Earlier, Rafael Nadal relied on his usual ...  

Defending champion Novak Djokovic kept alive his chances of reaching the semi-finals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at London's O2 Arena with a 7-6 (7/5) 6-3 victory over Rafael Nadal. Related StoriesMurray battles past VerdascoMurray is pushed to the limits by gritty VerdascoHas the plug been pulled on Nadal's power game?Del Potro through as Murray loses percentage gameConfusion reigns as Murray goes out  

guardian.co.ukTennis | Russian Davydenko reaches semifinal round of ATP World FinalsSeattle TimesTennis Defending champion Djokovic is eliminated from ATP World Tour Finals: Nikolay Davydenko of Russia secured the last semifinal spot. ...Nadal's bust in London leaves big questionsFOXSports.comNovak Djokovic beats Nadal but is knocked out of FinalsBBC SportNovak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal to keep chance of reaching semis at ATP...  

CLOSING IN ON RECORD : World No 1 tennis player Roger FedererPARIS – Roger Federer has topped the ATP end-of-year world rankings for the fifth time in his career, having ceded the position last year to Rafael Nadal. The 28-year-old Swiss star, who won the French Open and Wimbledon during the summer, was world No 1 from 2004 to 2007. . . .  

(CNN) -- Spain have retained the Davis Cup after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the final against the Czech Republic by winning the doubles on Saturday. The home team had set up an early victory as world No. 2 Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer won ...  

Spain has retained the Davis Cup with Saturday's doubles victory in Barcelona earning an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic. After Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer's singles wins on Friday - the latter after coming from two sets and a break ...  

Roger Federer, Rod Laver And Tennis History Books Available From New Chapter PressThe Roger Federer Story: Quest for Perfection, The Education of a Tennis Player, The Bud Collins History of Tennis and On This Day In Tennis History Are Great Gift Ideas For Tennis FansRoger Federer, Rod Laver and Tennis History are on sale as New Chapter Press recommends all four of its tennis titles as gifts for tennis fans.The Roger Federer Story, Quest for...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain won its second straight Davis Cup and showed that its tennis talent extends beyond Rafael Nadal. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay ...  

Russia's Nikolay Davydenko secured his sport in the ATP World Tour Finals in London after defeating Swiss world number one Roger Federer, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. He is to face either Juan Martin Del Potro or Robin Söderling.  

Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer both won singles matches yesterday at the Palau Sant Jordi to complete the sweep as Spain won for the fourth time since 2000 while becoming the first nation since Sweden in 1998 to retain the title. “It may look like ...  

MADRID—Spain's prime minister honored the ... Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero praised Rafael Nadal and his teammates for successfully defending the title after completing a 5-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final on Sunday. The country's ...  

Nikolay Davydenko of Russia secured the last semifinal spot at the ATP World Tour Finals by beating Robin Soderling of Sweden 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-3 Friday, knocking defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia out of the tournament. Davydenko, Djokovic ...  

Spain's Rafael Nadal being treated during a break in his ATP World Tour Finals tennis match against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the 02 Arena in London, Friday, Nov. 27, 2009. LONDON—Novak Djokovic has kept his chances alive of reaching the ...  

Rafael Nadal closed out his most challenging season with another title, ending a four-match losing streak by earning two points for Spain in the Davis Cup final. Nadal opened the best-of-five series on indoor clay with a victory over Tomas Berdych. He then beat Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-4 Sunday at Palau Sant Jordi to help Spain close out its 5-0 win over the Czech Republic.  

Rafael Nadal may have struggled down the stretch on the ATP circuit, but the lefty great does go out on a high note after leading his Spanish team to a sweep of the Czech Republic in the season-ending Davis Cup final. Nadal keyed Spain’s win ...  

BARCELONA: Holders Spain, led by world number two Rafael Nadal, on Thursday preferred David Ferrer to Fernando Verdasco in their opening singles rubber against the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final starting her on Friday (today). Verdasco, the ...  

Spain won it's second straight Davis Cup tennis title beating the Czech Republic in doubles play Saturday. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Tomas Berdych to seal the deal. Lopez and Verdasco won a clay court match in Barcelona 7-6 (9-7 ...  

London, Nov 28(ANI): Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has admitted that he is completely worn out after his recent injuries. Adding to the 23-year-old’s misery, the most dominant player in the world last year crashed 7-6 6-3 to Novak Djokovic, which ended his World Tour Finals campaign with a third successive defeat. “Sometimes your battery [...]  

LONDON (AP) -- With one week to go before Spain attempts to defend its Davis Cup title against the Czech Republic, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco -- the country's two best players -- are struggling to find a way to win. Nadal lost his third ...  

London: David Ferrer produced an epic comeback to beat Radek Stepanek and put Spain 2-0 up in the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic on Friday after Rafael Nadal's earlier victory had given the hosts an ideal start. Nadal, relishing a return to ...  

Nikolay Davydenko clinched the last semi-final berth at the ATP World Tour Finals as the Russian defeated Robin Soderling 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3 on Friday.Before the day's play began, Davydenko knew a victory over Soderling would be enough to guarantee his place in the last four at London's O2 Arena.Novak Djokovic's win against Rafael Nadal earlier on Friday kept the pressure on, but the Russian's fate remained firmly in his own hands.  

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal thanked his team mates for giving him the chance to end a troubled season on a sweet note after Spain sealed victory in the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic on Saturday.  

LONDON — Nikolay Davydenko won the first big tournament of his career Sunday, running down just about every ball and using a consistent serve to beat U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4 to win the ATP World Tour Finals. Davydenko...  

Barcelona, Dec 7 (DPA) Rafael Nadal expects to begin his 2010 training at midweek as he makes up for time lost during a pair of injury absences this past ATP season. The world number two, boosted by a Davis Cup title for his nation at the weekend over the Czech Republic, should have no [...]  

Earlier, Rafael Nadal relied on his usual dogged determination and timely shot-making to beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 in the first singles match on the clay court at the Palau Sant Jordi. Stepanek looked set to even the best-of-five series after ...  

BARCELONA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - David Ferrer produced an epic comeback to beat Radek Stepanek and put Spain 2-0 up in the Davis Cup final against Czech Republic on Friday after Rafael Nadal's earlier victory had given the hosts an ideal start. Nadal ...  

With one week to go before Spain attempts to defend their Davis Cup title against the Czech Republic, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco - the country's two best players - are struggling to find a way to win. Nadal lost his third straight match at ...  

Dec 6 - Spain v Czech Republic - Davis Cup final scores from Barcelona on Sunday (prefix denotes seeding, * new result). 2-Spain beat Czech Republic 5-0 * David Ferrer (Spain) beat Lukas Dlouhy (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-2 Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Jan ...  

Spain retained the Davis Cup last night with a doubles victory here to earn an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic. After Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer's singles victories on Friday – the latter after coming from two sets and a break down ...  

Barcelona, Spain -- (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will open up for defending champion Spain versus the visiting Czech Republic in this week's best-of-five Davis Cup final at Palau Sant Jordi. Spain, which had never titled prior ...  

Barcelona, Spain (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal will open up for defending champion Spain versus the visiting Czech Republic in this week's best-of-five Davis Cup final at Palau Sant Jordi. Spain, which had never titled prior to ...  

Barcelona: Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco will hope to put a combined six defeats at last week's season-ending ATP event in London well behind them as the pair lead Spain into the weekend's Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic. With Spain's ...  

BARCELONA, Spain -- Rafael Nadal has given defending champion Spain a 1-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final by beating Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2. Nadal converted a decisive break point in the 11th game Friday on his way to taking ...  

Rafael Nadal will return to the courts after four consecutive losses Friday as he leads Spain in defense of its Davis Cup title against the Czech Republic. Nadal has not played on the Spanish team since the first round of the Davis Cup in early March ...  

BARCELONA, Spain — Spain won its second straight Davis Cup on Saturday by capturing its doubles match against the Czech Republic. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco beat Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych 7-6 (7), 7-5, 6-2 on clay to give the ...  

Spain playing Davis Cup tennis on clay in front of a home crowd is about as close to a sure thing as sport provides, and just because Rafael Nadal [ Images ] suddenly looks vulnerable the Czech Republic are not about to forget it. Spain go into this ...  

LONDON — Roger Federer was eliminated from the ATP World Tour Finals on Saturday, losing to Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the semifinals. Federer, who was broken three straight times in the first set, came within two points of winning while...  

Nikolay Davydenko of Russia won the biggest tournament of his career Sunday, beating U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 6-3, 6-4. Russian defeats del Potro in final: Nikolay Davydenko of Russia won the biggest tournament of his ...  

Well, it's not Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal. It's not Federer vs. Novak Djokovic. It's not even Federer vs. Juan Martin Del Potro. But it IS a final between two of the hottest players on tour  

LONDON -- With a week to go before Spain attempts to defend its Davis Cup title against the Czech Republic, its top two players, Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, are struggling to find a way to win. Nadal lost his third straight match at the ATP ...  

Novak Djokovic si Nikolay Davydenko isi disputa ultimul loc ramas disponibil in semifinalele Turneului Campionilor de la Londra. In Grupa B, Soderling joaca ultima partida relaxat, obtinandu-si biletul pentru runda urmatoare inca de la meciul doi. Rafael Nadal ramane surpriza neplacuta a turneului, fiind eliminat dupa doua infrangeri consecutive, ultimul lucru pus in joc pentru partida de vineri cu Djokovic este premiul de 120.000 de dolari...  

Tennis:Juan Martin del Potro has ended Andy Murray's hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a 6-2 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 victory over Roger Federer at London's O2 Arena. Following the Scot's win against Fernando Verdasco, the only scenario that could see Murray miss out came to fruition when Del Potro won in three sets.  

BARCELONA, Spain - Rafael Nadal has beaten Jan Hajek 6-3, 6-4 to stretch Davis Cup champion Spain's lead over the Czech Republic to 4-0 in the best-of-five final. Spain clinched its fourth title with a doubles victory on Saturday. Nadal won his ...