Argentina proud of efforts in Seville

 

Originally published on: 05/12/11 12:30

Argentina may have fallen short in their latest quest to win the Davis Cup but Tito Vazquez’s players know they have plenty to be proud of.

Already runners-up in 1981, 2006 and 2008, the South Americans fell short for a fourth time in the final of the international team competition, but though their long wait for the biggest team prize in tennis goes on, they departed Saville’s Olympic Stadium safe in the knowledge that they had pushed body and mind to the limit.

“We have done a good job. We were very close and we could fight,” reflected Juan Martin del Potro, desperately unlucky not to beat David Ferrer in the second rubber and displaying utmost determination in a four set battle with Rafael Nadal in the fourth.

“Despite not being at his best physical condition for the rest of us clay players, he is too good,” del Potro conceded of the world No.2. “David Ferrer is also at the same level. I did two good games and I didn’t make it. But we did our best. We did everything we could and Spain [beat] us.”

Former world No.3 David Nalbandian was overlooked for the opening singles rubber despite having won 34 matches across 22 ties in nine years of playing Davis Cup for his country, but the 29-year-old team player kept his nation in with a shout alongside Eduardo Schwank with a stunning straight sets doubles victory over Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. And the former world No.3 was quick to echo del Potro’s sentiments.

“We must be happy and proud with what we did, each of us: the players, the technical team, everybody,” said Nalbandian.

“We prepared a very tough tie. We knew what Spain was, and it has been proven that Spain as a local team is really difficult to beat. But we are happy because each player gave his best.

“Sometimes things don’t come out okay, but we are proud and happy with our work here to try and win. Sometimes, unfortunately, the opponent is better and that’s the way it is.”

Argentina, who beat Romania, Kazakhstan and Serbia to reach this year’s final, open their 2012 campaign with a testing trip to Germany on February 10-12.

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