Why Switzerland's Loss Might Actually be Federer's Gain

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After this weekend, it's clear that we should forget about Roger Federer adding a Davis Cup to his list of accomplishments. Crystal clear, in fact. And you know what? It's probably the best thing for Federer, given his age, lofty Grand Slam ambitions, and the youthful state of the competition that he'll have to overcome to achieve them.

While many were holding out hope that Switzerland might use a tidy little victory over the supposedly clay-phobic Americans this weekend as a springboard to a title run, the cold, hard truth is that the only thing a Davis Cup run would have done is distract Federer from his "real" goals this year.

And who can fault Federer if he's guilty of feeling and subsequently disguising his lack of interest in Davis Cup? Who can say if it's right or wrong? He showed up, he played hard, he lost -- let's move on now, to what really matters to Federer. The man has been keeping busy looking for ways to stem the tide of two of the most indomitable, physically daunting specimens to ever play the game. In short, Federer's got work to do, and Davis Cup would only hinder -- not help -- that process.

Put yourself in Roger's shoes. Would you really want four weekends full of five-set marathons tacked on to your already busy schedule, during an Olympic year, no less? Sure, if he was five years younger and Stan Wawrinka was a little more like David Ferrer and a little less like, well, Stan Wawrinka, maybe. But Roger is 30, he's got twins to watch over, and let's be frank: if he's obsessed with winning anything right now, it sure as heck isn't Davis Cup. Wimbledon, maybe. U.S. Open, sure. But not Davis Cup.

That's why I'm thinking that this weekend's loss was actually a blessing in disguise for Federer. For a while there it seemed like even he was getting caught up in taking one last shot at going the distance in Davis Cup. But now that Swiss hopes have sagged, Federer can get back to his bread and butter. Let's face it, the man, brilliant as he still remains, isn't so young anymore. Federer needs to divert every last ounce of energy in his tank toward his Grand Slam quest. He'll need to be as healthy as he possibly can be to weather the rough and tumble Roland Garros-Wimbledon-Olympic grind that is coming.

And even that likely won't be enough. He'll need some divine intervention too.

Playing Davis Cup in April and then again in July would have only clouded the picture for Federer. He's better off where he is right now.

Once he shakes off the disappointment of a deflating performance this weekend, Roger Federer too will realize that the last thing a 30-year-old who wants to win more Grand Slams and Olympic Gold medals needs to do is get caught chasing the wrong dream.

Davis Cup might have been our dream for Roger Federer. It might have been the story that we wanted to read, the pleasant surprise, the proof of his spirituality, love of country, unselfishness, etc... but I don't think it was ever his dream. If it was he would have played like it was. He wouldn't have fell asleep at the wheel during the second set on Friday against John Isner, something we'd never catch him doing at a Slam.

Either way, it's over now. We can blame anything we want to blame -- we can blame the clay, blame Stan Wawrinka's shoddy doubles game, blame the inevitable passage of time -- but it'll never change the real crux of this quandary. The fact remains: the last few chapters of Federer's legacy were never destined to be written at Davis Cup -- they are destined to be written at the Slams.

Now that Federer has less on his mind to worry about, he's got more to put into them.

Singing Hearts, Bleeding Hearts: Ferrer Trumps Del Potro

David Ferrer's five set win over Juan Martin del Potro was replete with emotional gravitas.


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After the final ball of David Ferrer's 6-2, 6-7(2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Juan Martin Del Potro was struck today in Seville, Spain, I found myself resonating emotionally with the players as they went to their respective chairs, one crying in anguish, the other in the throes of heartfelt euphoria. For those who rejoice in more than strokes and strategy, and look for the sublime in every match, today's epic struggle was an insta-classic, plain and simple.

Whether you chose to root for Juan Martin Del Potro and his almost deceiving gentle aura or you were rooting for David Ferrer, the indefatigable warrior who deserves so much more recognition for what he brings to the ATP Tour, you had your moments. And whether you took it hard in the end or were sky-high in the sweetness of it all, when it was said and done I think we can all agree that this match was more a collective work of tennis distinction than a singular statement of success or failure by either player.

When viewed against the backdrop of all that has taken place between Spain and Argentina over the years, and when placed in context with the spiritual similarities of the two competing nations (and the two competing players), one could easily sit back and feel sweet joy for one and sweet sadness for the other, simultaneously. Either way, it was sweet, which is nice.

As a neutral, with only the purpose of reporting on the match, I felt an ebb and flow throughout the tilt, and was constantly reminded of how much respect I had for both players involved on an almost per-game basis.

With regard to Ferrer: How is it that the top 4 players can defeat him so regularly? I think if you took a person who had never watched tennis before, and told them that Ferrer was the greatest player in the history of the world, they would believe you after watching only a few points.

With regard to Del Potro: Is there any player on tour with a higher OMG quotient? The brute force he puts behind the ball is staggering. It is a testament to his fitness and strength yes, but I also believe it is a testament to his will. In other words, it is impossible to hit a tennis ball with Del Potro's might unless you want it badly, oh-so badly.

Both Ferrer and Del Potro are notorious for having a big, brave heart, and neither disappointed today during this 4-hour and 46-minute slugfest. Each worked the rowdy crowds into a frenzy at regular intervals, and each was improbably resilient when things looked to be turning sour.

It was a classic struggle, with Ferrer jumping to an early and decisive start only to see Del Potro strengthen his resolve in the second set and second set tiebreaker to draw even. Then in the third set, they wrestled for control again, each dishing out their most noteworthy body blows. For Ferrer it was the punishing mid-court forehand and the dropper that often put him in position to pass Del Potro; For Del Potro it was the filthy forehands that whizzed through the court like weapons-grade fire.

Throughout the match, as they soldiered through exchanges and jockeyed for control, the two were in contrast to one another physically, but almost identical in spirit. There was the 6'6" Argentine, gritting it out, struggling to defend the court with everything he had. And there was the 5'9" Ferrer, a Tasmanian Devil in tennis shoes, part wrestler and part sorcerer, gritting it out as well.

The end was a splendid culmination and the emotional high point that all had hoped for. Ferrer's post-match celebratory scream was silenced by the thunderous growl of the crowd, but the look on his face was louder than love. Del Potro stood slumped at the net, a spent warrior in agony, yet he still managed to dignify Ferrer with his final gesture to him as they shook hands.

For a moment, it felt as if everybody had won. Even Del Potro's sadness seemed sweet.

But we know in the end there can only be one winner. Ferrer gave Spain a 2-0 lead, and Argentina has its back against the wall again. For the fourth time in four finals, the Argentine squad appears to have missed out on a chance to win its first Davis Cup title. Ferrer is overjoyed, the valorous hero. Del Potro is downtrodden, the lamentable loser.

We know in the end it's only going to be about one team, Spain or Argentina, when we check the record books. But today it felt like it was about all of us. The beauty of the sport and the heat of the moment. The power of desire and the heartbreakingly poignant feeling of loss. It was about Spain. It was about Argentina. It was about tennis. It was about us.

And now I hear the familiar refrain in my head: If you leave it all out there on the court, you can never lose.

And, for the first time in a while, I believe it's true.

Is Argentina Capable of a Miracle?

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Fernando Verdasco's summation of the mindset of his team as they prepare for the 2011 Davis Cup final is telling, and it bodes well for Spain. A healthy respect for the competition has never been a problem for the Spanish, and it has a lot to do with their success. "I think they [Argentina] will come with everything," he said. "I think it's going to be more difficult than everybody thinks."

Spain is, of course, well versed in Argentina's long and agonizingly fruitless quest for the Davis Cup; they were the thieves in the night that raced into Mar del Plata to dash the Argentine hopes of victory in 2008. To their credit, the Spaniards know to be prepared for a hungry bunch of unsung adversaries when the 99th Davis Cup final gets underway in Seville tomorrow.

In '08, Argentina was heavily favored to win its first title at home against a Spanish team that was without Rafael Nadal. But the pressure of making history amidst throngs of tennis-mad companeros proved to be to much for the squad. For the fourth time in four Davis Cup finals, the end was not pretty for Argentina. In fact, it was downright snarky, with Nalbandian and Del Potro giving each other the silent treatment as the final balls were struck. No doubt dejected about the loss, and wearied by the infighting, dejected captain Alberto Mancini resigned after the tie.

Such is Argentina's forlorn Davis Cup history, a prime example of the classic quandary: so close yet oh so far. How does a nation so steeped in brilliant tennis go without a Davis Cup title for all these years? There are 13 nations who have won the Cup. Spain, of course, broke through with a bang in 2000 and are now looking for their 5th title. Serbia won its first in remarkable fashion last year. South Africa has been crowned, as well as Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Italy.

It makes one wonder: Will the day ever come for Argentina? Not even Guillermo Vilas, the original King of Clay and the holder of tennis's longest winning streak of all-time, could take Argentina to the pinnacle of team tennis. Not that he didn't try. Vilas and Co. lost in the finals to the Americans in 1981, with John McEnroe proving to be too much for Vilas and Jose-Luis Clerc on the fast American hard courts.

But enough history. Let's talk about the here and now. Does Argentina have a shot?

At first glance the answer has to be HELL NO! When you consider the gory details of Spain's domination of this event since the turn of the century, it seems like impossible might be overstating Argentina's chances. Nadal has won 18 straight Davis Cup singles matches and has never lost one on clay; Ferrer has also never lost on clay, going 11-0. Meanwhile, Spain is in the midst of a 20-tie win streak at home that has now spanned over 10 years.

And what is Argentina's answer to that intimidating body of work? Honestly, they have none. At least on paper they don't. But when you take your microscope out and start to explore the psychological underbelly of this one, there are a few things that favor Argentina.

Backtrack, if you will, to Fernando Verdasco's comments at the top of the page. While it's prescient of he and his teammates to be aware of the fact that Argentina is a very dangerous squad to face, the fact that they do consider them dangerous means that they may believe it. The roles are reversed this year. As bad as Argentina wants this title, nobody expects them to get it, and they could benefit from the fact that they really and truly have nothing to lose.

Secondly, if there was ever a more perfect chance to exact revenge for that heartbreaking defeat in 2008, this would be that chance. We must consider the character of the Argentinians before we write them off in this one. Anybody who witnessed Juan Martin del Potro at his most inspired in 2009 knows that improbable victories are not at all out of the question.

Finally, I think it's fair to say that the Spanish, though they are taking painful strides to alleviate any worry about it, are still slightly fatigued from a long year in the trenches. Though it's hard to envision anybody outlasting David Ferrer in a battle of grinders, at this point, I'm not completely convinced that the Rafa who takes the court tomorrow is going to be the swift assassin that we have been accustomed to seeing.

That said, there may several ways to spin this thing, and some of them might make Argentina's chances look a little better than they actually are, but considering what's at stake, where they are playing and who they are playing, revenge might be a dish that never gets served.

Argentina will need a miracle to win this one, and that is a fact. For some reason (there is just something about Del Potro and, to a lesser extent, Nalbandian), I consider them to be capable of a miracle this weekend.

Though I don't expect it, I'm still excited to see them try.

From Out of the Ashes, A Final to Die For

The valiant efforts of the world's top players during Davis Cup play over the weekend reminds us that the event is about more than just tennis.


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Pity on me, for I spent most of the Davis Cup weekend wondering why the heck Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were subjecting themselves to the rigors of the Davis Cup semifinals when they should have been spending the week shuttling between the Hyperbaric chamber and the massage table. After the torturous final week of the US Open, I had convinced myself that the worst thing for the game -- and subsequently, the worst thing for the game's top two players -- would be to see these guys take the court for their countries less than a week after the US Open's Monday final.

In this age of brutally physical tennis, where players are considered over the hill at the age of 30 (well, not all of them, but most), I was worried that Djokovic and Nadal were taking on too much of a burden to play Davis Cup. This is how careers get shortened, I was thinking, already lamenting the day that each will declare themselves through with the game (when none of us are quite through with watching them play the game).

Even as it had to be therapeutic for Nadal to lead his fellow Spaniards to victory on home soil against France, I kept finding myself asking "Why the heck is he playing?" In the end, Rafa probably made the right decision to play. He did it for the fans and for his teammates, and down the road, he'll be remembered for acts like this where his humility and dedication to country take center stage right along with his otherwordly brand of clay court tennis.

But even after Nadal sealed Spain's 4-1 victory with an awe-inspiring thrashing of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, you could tell he wasn't happy that he had to do it with the fatigue of four matches in five days still weighing heavily on his bones. Such is the quandary that Davis Cup presents.

To play or not to play? To care or not to care? To sacrifice the body or preserve it?

Given that the event can be such a momentum-grower, it was hard for me to understand why the Spanish team didn't try to grow some momentum for some of their players who need it the most. Why not give Fernando Verdasco a chance to get the inspiring win he so badly needs at the moment? (Verdasco did beat Gasquet in a meaningless dead rubber to close the festivities.) We're talking about a wonderfully talented Spanish team that is built not just on one man after all.

I know in hindsight Rafa's triumph was what the fans wanted, what the team wanted (it sets up a mouth watering final vs. Argentina in December) and maybe even what Rafa wanted, but it would have been nice if someone else had been given a shot to shine. Especially since Rafa could have used the rest, and his comrades could have used the confidence that might have come if they had beaten the French without him.

In Belgrade, Serbia suffered exactly what Spain avoided. Novak Djokovic was sent to the court running on fumes, and he paid dearly for it when he faced an inspired Juan Martin del Potro. Djokovic's retirement gave Argentina the victory, and it puts the Argentines in position to win their first Davis Cup title in Spain in December.

The decision to send an already injured and energy-depleted Djokovic on court against Del Potro was a head-scratcher for sure. The pressure to put Nole out there on the final day must have been great -- and coming from everywhere. Still, the man had a torn rib muscle -- why run the risk of doing serious damage to it?

Here's a better question: Why ask why?

In the end, Djokovic and Nadal's valiant efforts, regardless of the outcome, shines a light on Davis Cup and points to it's uniqueness and validity as an event. The event has been much maligned due to its inconvenient placement on the tennis calendar, but regardless of its knack for bad timing, or its relatively meager compensation levels, the event is major source of pride for for all who partake.

The fact that Nadal and Djokovic were willing to lay their bodies on the line for their countries this weekend -- as much as it pained us to watch -- has once again opened my eyes to the allure of Davis Cup. It's about tennis, but also it's about something bigger. In the end, I realized that I have no business questioning Serbia's move to play Novak Djokovic on Sunday, even though he was only at 60%. They wanted the win, and they were prepared to risk it all to get it. Who can fault them for that?

Additionally, the Davis Cup finally got a dose of the starpower it has been yearning for so badly, with Federer showing up in Australia and Andy Murray getting busy against Hungary.

All things considered, it was a fantastic weekend for Davis Cup, in which the true spirit of the event came through. My initial reaction was to reject it, but in the end, it won me over. With Argentina set to clash with Spain in the final in December, the tennis cognoscenti are already wondering if a bit of Davis Cup glory might do for Juan Martin del Potro what many believe it did for Novak Djokovic after Serbia's victory in 2010.

In a sport that is highly individualistic, we owe it to Davis Cup for providing a platform for fans to see the world's top players in another element. Even when things go horribly wrong, like they did for Novak Djokovic and Serbia in Belgrade, we learn something new about the character of the players in the process.

I can't complain about that at all.