Clearly the country’s focus has not been entirely on tennis, as anyone can confirm who has been treated to live television coverage of Argentina’s soccer practice sessions and cradle-to-coach rehashings of Maradona’s alternately tortured and triumphant life.

But come Friday, the nation’s misty eyes should turn to Mar del Plata and the historic sports opportunity at hand. Three of the four members of Argentina’s Davis Cup team have been this far before, with David Nalbandian, José Acasuso and Agustín Calleri all making the trip to Moscow, where they lost to Russia in the 2006 final.

Juan Martín Del Potro had not quite broken through to the highest level at that stage, but he clearly has his head in the clouds now after finishing the season as Argentina’s highest-ranked player at number nine.

There has been a price to pay, however, and the big question surrounding the biggest man in this final (Del Potro stands 1.96 meters, or 6-foot-5) is whether the adrenaline rush of playing for Argentina will be enough to overcome the accumulated fatigue and lingering jet lag of a breakthrough year, which earned him a trip to Shanghai for last week’s elite Masters Cup and also earned him a marathon, 27-hour journey back to Argentina for one last challenge.

“When I was in Europe for the final tournaments of the year, I was already dead on my feet,” he said. “I kept going because I was trying to make it into the Masters Cup, but physically and mentally I was already pushing it. Now, I’ve got one more big push to make and I’ve got to give it everything.”

At age 20, there should still be something in the “reserve tank” that his coach Franco Davín says he is now using. On Wednesday, Del Potro looked fresh and frisky enough as he slammed down big serves and chased down the left-handed shots of sparring partner Mariano Puerta, the former French Open finalist who is struggling to come back after a doping suspension.

“I really think he can handle the pressure,” said his childhood coach, Marcelo Gómez. “He certainly handled it in the semifinal against Russia. The final is different, but I think he has the mental strength to thrive.”

Against Russia, Del Potro was a court-gobbling, winner-smashing marvel, beating first Nikolay Davydenko and then Igor Andreev with surprising, straight-set ease on clay to compensate for Nalbandian’s uncharacteristic Davis Cup struggles.

But Del Potro has gone out of his way to make it clear that he remains Nalbandian’s sidekick, even if he is ranked two spots higher and towers over his stocky, sweaty compatriot.

“The number one on our team is David; he’s our reference, our guide,” Del Potro said. “I think he has saved Argentina many times from complicated situations.”

Until the Russia tie, where he lost twice, Nalbandian had never lost a Cup match in Argentina, winning 15 in a row. His combined singles and doubles record is still an impressive 24-7. But he was also a stylistic model for Del Potro and the younger Argentine set with his compact strokes and ability to thrive on all surfaces.

When Del Potro won four consecutive tournaments this summer, the first two victories came on outdoor clay, the next two on North American hard courts.

“The idea was for him to play on fast courts from a young age, because I knew that was the way modern tennis was going,” Gómez said. “To be a clay-court player is not enough. We knew he would be tall, which meant that playing on clay was going to be a challenge because he was going to lack some speed. But I knew that he could be a different kind of player and that that could make a difference.”

Gómez and Del Potro are from Tandil, a small provincial city of less than 200,000 that is only about 178 kilometers, or 110 miles, from Mar del Plata. Despite its small size and relative isolation, Tandil has become a font of world-class tennis talent That is in no small part due to Gómez, a well-respected master of the fundamentals who also worked with future Argentine professionals Mariano Zabaleta and Juan Mónaco. Guillermo Pérez-Roldán, a fine Argentine player in the 1990s, was also from Tandil.

_________________________________________
SOURCE:
“Argentina turns to emerging star”
TENNIS | DAVIS CUP
International Herald Tribune
November 20, 2008
By Christopher Clarey
http://www.iht.com/
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/20/sports/TENNIS.php

Since Mar del Plata was confirmed as the host city six weeks ago, the stadium has undergone an extensive and impressive revamp, from the fundamentals of laying a tennis court, to increasing the seating capacity of the stadium, building television commentary booths, installing and positioning multiple CCTV-style cameras for Hawkeye Officiating, and even the exterior getting a re-paint.

With play beginning on Friday 21 November, final touches are being made inside and around the site, while the media start to arrive and the players make the most of their daily practice sessions.

The Spanish team were the first to arrive on Friday, and after attending the wedding of fellow player Juan Ignacio Chela, the Argentine team returned to Mar del Plata on Sunday, with del Potro in tow, who flew straight from competing at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

The final, the most high-profile and highly-anticipated final in years, has also received plenty of coverage in local and national press, with more than 500 accredited national and international media yet to arrive in the city. When tickets went on sale over a week ago, almost three million people clogged the phonelines and fans even camped out overnight to buy tickets from the stadium.

Whether Argentina fulfils its dream of winning the treasured Cup, or the Spaniards cause the biggest upset on South American soil, the Argentina v Spain showdown is assured to be one of the hottest tickets on the tennis calendar this year.
______________________________________
SOURCE:
Davis Cup Official Website
17 Nov 2008
http://www.daviscup.com
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?articleid=15395

The Argentine Tennis Federation has announced that tickets for the 2008 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final between Argentina and Spain, held 21-23 November at the Estadio Polideportivo in Mar Del Plata, will go on sale on Monday 10 November.

The best-of-five match series begins Friday 19 November with two singles matches pitting each country’s world No. 1 against the other country’s No. 2 player. Saturday’s schedule features the doubles match, and on the final day of play on Sunday, the two ‘reverse singles’ will take place where the No. 1 players face each other followed by the match between the No. 2 players.

Argentina is bidding to become the first South American nation to be crowned Davis Cup champion and this is the first time that two-time runner-up will host the final. World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is expected to lead Spain’s challenge for a third Davis Cup title.The visitors lifted the prestigious trophy in 2000 and 2004.

Official team nominations will be announced on Tuesday 11 November.

Preview:
This is the third meeting between the two nations and Spain has won both previous matches, played on outdoor clay in Spain. Spain defeated Argentina 3-1 in a 1926 zonal quarterfinal and more recently Carlos Moya clinched the decisive fifth rubber for a 3-2 victory in the 2003 quarterfinal after Argentina had fought back from 0-2 down.
Estadio Islas Malvinas, Mar del Plata
Stadium Capacity: 11,132
21 November – 23 November 2008
Day 1: 13.00 hours local (15.00 hours GMT)
Day 2: 14.00 hours local (16.00 hours GMT)
Day 3: 12.00 hours local (14.00 hours GMT)
Surface: Hard (Acrylic) – Indoors
Ball Type: Head ATP Hard Court The ticket hotline number is +54 115 237 7200.

Ticket prices
(all 3-day tickets) Please note that the US$ equivalent price is subject to the prevailing exchange rate at the time:
Side court upper tier – ARS 990 (US$300)
Side court middle tier – ARS 2150 (US$652)
Side court lower tier – ARS 4100 (US$1243)
End court upper tier – ARS 2960 (US$897)
End court lower tier – ARS 4100 (US$1243)
Corner upper tier – ARS 2500 (US$758)
Corner lower tier – ARS 4100 (US$1243)
Boxes:
Side court middle section box (cost per seat) – ARS 4500 (US$1364)
End court box (cost per seat) – ARS 4500 (US$1364)

Preview
This is the third meeting between the two nations and Spain has won both previous matches, played on outdoor clay in Spain. Spain defeated Argentina 3-1 in a 1926 zonal quarterfinal and more recently Carlos Moya clinched the decisive fifth rubber for a 3-2 victory in the 2003 quarterfinal after Argentina had fought back from 0-2 down.
______________________________________
SOURCE:
Davis Cup Official Website
http://www.daviscup.com

The decision was made after consideration of plans proposed by the Argentine Tennis Association and the site visit reports of Mar del Plata and Cordoba made by International Tennis Federation representatives.

“This was one of the most challenging decisions we have made during my decade-long tenure on the Davis Cup Committee,” said Juan Margets, vice- president of the ITF — the body which owns and manages the Davis Cup.

“There were many factors to consider including the wishes of the players to play on an indoor hard court, the feasibility of increasing the venue to the 12,000-seat minimum required in the regulations and other factors that contribute to the success of a Davis Cup final.

“In the end, the committee unanimously felt that Mar del Plata was the most appropriate venue for the 2008 final,” he added.

The Argentine Tennis Association proposed both stadiums last month, ruling out its regular venue, the 14,000-seat outdoor clay Parque Roca Stadium in Buenos Aires, because of the risk of late spring rain and the superior mastery of clay by Spain — led by top-ranked Rafael Nadal.

Argentina beat Russia in the Davis Cup semifinals last month, putting them into their third Davis Cup final and first at home.

_______________________________________________________
SOURCE:
“ITF approve venue for Davis Cup final”
World Sports
CNN International // OnLine //
October 10, 2008
http://www.cnn.com
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/10/10/tennis.davis/

Nadal swept Andy Roddick in straight sets on clay Sunday as Spain beat the reigning champion United States 4-1 to reach its sixth final and third in eight years.

Argentina, which defeated Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires in the other semifinal, plans to host the Nov. 21-23 final on a quick surface at the indoor Orfeo arena in Cordoba to take away the clay-court edge of Nadal and his teammates.

“It’s not just the surface but the team (you’re playing) that matters,” Nadal said.

Argentina knows the faster surface may be the only way to beat four-time French Open champion Nadal, who has lost only twice in his last 117 clay matches

“They’ll choose whatever works best for them. If they pick an indoor (stadium) we’ll go looking to be as competitive as possible,” Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said. “If they put us on grass we have the Wimbledon champion.”

Argentina, whose team features David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro, reached its third final on Sunday in a series where the Russians felt just what a difference Argentina’s boisterous and intimidating support can make.

“The Argentine public is a factor if the games are close,” Sanchez Vicario said. “But if there is any evident superiority in a match then the public will have little influence. It always depends on what happens on the court.”

And Nadal may be worn out after the longest season of his career.

Nadal and, most likely, David Ferrer will have little time to recover from jet-lag as they travel directly to Argentina from the Masters Cup at Shanghai, which runs Nov. 11-16.

Roddick said Davis Cup organizers were at fault.

“They know that we love this competition so they take advantage of it and pretty much put us through the ringer with the schedule not really caring if we get much rest or not,” Roddick said. “But if anybody can handle it, it’s probably (Nadal).”

Roddick knows just how strong Nadal can be on the clay after losing 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 on Sunday — the first time the U.S. player has ever been blanked in a set over 22 Davis Cup ties.

“With Rafa having the year he’s had you probably have to like Spain’s chances at this point, but Argentina has been a strong team over the years,” said the eighth-ranked American, who helped lead the U.S. to the title last year.

Sanchez Vicario knows the task will not be easy.

“In the end, the best players are there and playing away will be tough,” he said. “But with this team, we can do it.”
__________________________________________
SOURCE:
“Nadal, Spain ready for Argentina”
Sports
International Herald Tribune
September 22, 2008
http://www.iht.com
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/22/sports/TEN-Davis-Cup-Spain.php