CORDOBA, Spain (AP) Rafael Nadal wants an immediate fix to overcrowded tennis calendar or players may examine tougher options to force a change.
Nadal beat Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 on Friday to put Spain ahead of France 1-0 in the Davis Cup semifinals, the match coming only four days after the second-ranked Spaniard lost to Novak Djokovic in the U.S. Open final.
Nadal has complained before about the overcrowded calendar. When asked if a strike would be possible, he said players may have to use ``strong action'' if necessary.
We don't want to get there. We want to play. But if it's a fight about something that we think is fair, something would have to happen,'' Nadal said on Friday.Sometimes the only way to make things happen is to choose strong action.''
Nadal insisted an evolution'' in the calendar must be made orwe might get to a place where we might not want to be.''
They don't want to change anything,'' Nadal said.You can't always just think about the personal benefit. It seems as if those in charge aren't aware.''
The Davis Cup quarterfinals are played the week after Wimbledon while the semifinals are played the week following the U.S. Open.
While Nadal has been a vocal critic, the dates are also partly his doing.
Nadal was among 17 of the top 20 players who asked the International Tennis Federation, which organizes the Davis Cup, to alter the calendar in October 2006. The change was implemented at the start of the 2009 season.
In the letter, also signed by then-No. 1 Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, Nadal asked that Davis Cup play come in the week immediately following the Grand Slam events and not two weeks later as originally scheduled.
Spain teammate David Ferrer, who won his match against Gilles Simon to put Spain 2-0 in front, said the majority of players agreed with Nadal's perspective.
We're not machines, we are at the limits of our physical ability,'' the fifth-ranked Ferrer said.No doubt something has to change.''