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Nalbandian hoping for Maradona inspiration

Argentina’s Agustin Calleri, left, and Jose Acasuso, second left, shake hands with Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, second right, and Fernando Verdasco, who will compete in a doubles match during the Davis Cup tennis final, during the drawing ceremony in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on Thursday. Argentina hosts the Davis Cup final against Spain in Mar del Plata. It opened yesterday and ends tomorrow. PHOTO: AP

Argentina’s David Nalbandian said on Thursday he hoped Diego Maradona would give their Davis Cup final hopes a massive lift by turning up for the South American’s weekend duel against Spain.

“I’d love Maradona to show up,” said Nalbandian, after he was drawn to meet Spaniard David Ferrer in yesterday’s opening singles.

“We have a unique and historic chance to win the Davis Cup,” added Nalbandian, ranked No. 11 in the world and who will seek to get the hosts off to a flying start against a man ranked just one place below him in the final at Mar del Plata, 400km south of Buenos Aires.

World No. 9, Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro, will take on 31st-ranked Feliciano Lopez in the second singles match prior to today’s doubles and tomorrow’s reverse singles.

Nalbandian said the Argentine camp, while keeping their fingers crossed that soccer coach Maradona, fresh from a debut win in Scotland, might make it back in time, were also hoping former tennis star Guillermo Vilas could also provide some moral support.

Although the tie is on hardcourt and the Spaniards traditionally have a preference for clay, their tandem of 16th-ranked Lopez and Fernando Verdasco will be slightly favored to take the doubles rubber ahead of 60th-ranked Agustin Calleri and 48th-ranked Jose Acasuso.

Calleri said he was sure that if Maradona could get to the encounter he would indeed show.

“He’ll be there as he has always supported us and has promised to try to make it — though now with his daughter being ill I’m not so sure,” said Calleri.

Giannina Maradona developed problems with her pregnancy on Wednesday and was in hospital.

Her boyfriend, Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, flew back to Spain on Tuesday and missed the win over Scotland as a result to be with her.

Argentina skipper Alberto Mancini said of local boy Vilas, 56, that “he will be supporting the team and for us is an important presence.”

The Argentinians, twice beaten by their opponents in previous encounters in the competition, are bidding to win the event for the first time in their history whereas Spain lifted the Cup in 2000 and 2004.

But Spanish hopes have been severely dented this year by the loss through injury of world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who was a champion four years ago.

“I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t matter if Nadal is playing or not — but we have to take into account that Spain have a great team,” Del Potro said on Thursday.

Nalbandian, Calleri and Acasuso were members of the squad beaten in Moscow two years ago.



■ RODDICK HIRES COACH

BLOOMBERG

Andy Roddick, the last American man to have won a Grand Slam, hired compatriot Larry Stefanki as his new coach following an injury-riddled year.

A former tour player, Stefanki has worked with Wimbledon winner John McEnroe and former British No. 1 Tim Henman. Marcelo Rios and Yevgeny Kafelnikov rose to No. 1 in the world under his guidance. Roddick announced the appointment in a statement on his Web site.

Roddick had worked with US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe temporarily during the US Open after the former world No. 1 stopped using his elder brother John Roddick as coach shortly before the tournament started.

It is five years since Roddick, whose ranking has dropped to No. 8 from No. 6 in the world this year, beat Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero at the finals of the US Open. Roddick last held the top spot in men’s tennis in 2004.

Roddick’s brother had traveled with him on tour for two-and-a-half years and had been his coach since Jimmy Connors left in March.
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