MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina—The drumbeat stopped, the “Ole’s” ceased, and the chair umpire's pleading for “silencio” was finally granted. The packed crowd at Islas Malvinas Stadium, once boisterous and charged, now stared in horror as their top-ranked player, Juan Martin del Potro, grimaced in pain while clutching his right leg.
Argentina headed into the Davis Cup final as the favorite, and after David Nalbandian comfortably defeated David Ferrer in the opening rubber, it appeared that a rout could be in the making. But the momentum quickly changed after Del Potro’s injury. He went on to lose to Feliciano Lopez, 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(4), 6-3, and the tie was leveled at 1-1. With Del Potro’s status for Sunday uncertain, Saturday’s doubles match has taken on an even greater level of importance.
Argentinean captain Alberto Mancini announced after the match that he was changing his doubles lineup, putting Nalbandian – who will replace Jose Acasuso – alongside Agustin Calleri. They will face Lopez and Fernando Verdasco, who have competed in doubles together several times. Their familiarity breeds confidence, said Lopez earlier on Friday, before Argentina’s doubles pairing was announced.
“Fernando and I, we have played many matches together and we are going to try our best together and I don't care who we have to play.”
With doctors still examining his upper right leg, Del Potro declined to speculate on whether he could play in his reverse singles match on Sunday. But he was in visible pain on court, after medical staff worked on his leg early in the fourth set. The left-handed Lopez used a potent cocktail of effective serve-and-volley, heavy slice and timely approach shots to unsettle Del Potro, winning the match in three hours and 19 minutes.
Argentina had hoped that Del Potro would prove to be their Davis Cup hero, after his heroics in their semifinal tie against Russia. In September, the 20-year-old defeated veteran Igor Andreev in a decisive fifth rubber, giving Argentina the chance to host the final. But Spain seems to have found a surprising protagonist in Lopez, who had a 2-4 singles record in Davis Cup ties coming into Mar del Plata.
“This is…one of those matches that can change a tennis career,” Lopez said.
A subdued Del Potro, his eyes sunken and red, said he would do all he could to cheer on the doubles team Saturday. Mancini thanked the crowd and complimented them – and then said fans need to do as much as they can to get Argentina the critical doubles point.
“Tomorrow more than ever,” Mancini said.
Del Potro didn't deny that his injury was a factor in the match, but believed he was simply outplayed by Lopez.
“Nobody died, it's just a tennis match, maybe a little more important than any other one,” Del Potro said. “Truly and honestly a player that played much better than me beat me. He took his chances and I didn't.”
Sanchez-Vicario downplayed any talk that Spain should now be considered the favorite.
“To be 1-1 gives us a lot of hope, and makes us look forward to the doubles with a lot of hope. Now that we are 1-1, we have a bit more of a chance. I think the only important thing is to play. It doesn't matter who the favorite is, it only matters who plays better at that moment of the day.”