Shortly before midnight on Tuesday in Madrid’s La Caja Magica, Rafael Nadal punched the air as chants of “Rafa, Rafa” echoed around the arena and the Davis Cup finals burst into life.
After generally disappointing attendances so far at the glitzy new version of the 119-year-old competition, a sellout crowd at the cavernous 12,500-seat stadium roared the world No. 1 to a 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) win over Russia’s Karen Khachanov.
While the reaction to Nadal’s victory sounded like Spain had won the old trophy for a sixth time, it actually just leveled the Group B tie at 1-1.
Photo: AFP
The victory would come shortly before 2am, when veteran duo Feliciano Lopez and Marcel Granollers beat Khachanov and Andrey Rublev 6-4, 7-6 to clinch a 2-1 win.
With Russia beating defending champions Croatia 3-0 on Monday, there was some anxiety on the Spain bench when Rublev surged back to defeat Wimbledon semi-finalist Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/0) and put them ahead.
That left 33-year-old Nadal with no margin for error against dangerous world No. 17 Khachanov, but if ever there is a man for a crisis, it is Nadal.
He had won his past 24 Davis Cup singles rubbers since losing on his debut in 2004 and was not about to stop now — not on home soil with his country depending on him.
Khachanov stretched him to the breaking point at times, especially in the second set, but the 19-time Grand Slam champion fought off a set point before claiming victory.
Afterward, he said that the new format, with ties consisting of three rubbers rather than the traditional five, made things dangerous for the favorite nations.
“The format makes things very difficult, because every mistake puts you in a position that you don’t want to be,” Nadal told reporters, anxiously peering at the TV to keep track of his compatriots playing doubles.
Canada’s tennis resurgence continued as they became the first nation through to the last eight after beating the US for the first time in 16 attempts.
Vasek Pospisil, ranked 150th in the world, edged youngster Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (9/7) before Denis Shapovalov beat Taylor Fritz.
Canada’s second 2-1 win, having beaten Italy on Monday, sealed top spot in Group F.
“Right now, Canada is really in the best place it’s been in tennis history,” Pospisil said.
Canada could face Australia in the last eight after Nick Kyrgios returned from a two-month layoff to put his team on their way to a 3-0 win over Colombia in Group D.
Australia were yesterday to face Belgium in a group decider.
Top seeds France had a close shave as they beat Japan 2-1 — Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert winning the decisive doubles match 6-7 (7/4), 6-4, 7-5 against Ben McLachlan and Yasutaka Uchiyama.
However, there were no French fans there to watch it.
The Les Bleus supporters’ club has boycotted the event in protest at radical changes that have largely replaced the 10-month-long home-and-away knockout format with an 18-nation season-ender in a single city, played over seven hectic days.
“Actually, it was pretty special, because it was the first time I hear myself singing La Marseillaise,” Herbert said jokingly.
Argentina beat Chile 3-0 in Group C, while Kazakhstan edged the Netherlands 2-1 in Group E.
The six group winners and two best-placed runners-up progress to the quarter-finals.
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