Spain Leads Czech Republic 2-0

Since Rafael Nadal’s return to the tour in Montreal this year, the Spaniard’s play has been inconsistent. He is still trying to return to that top form that has brought him six grand slam titles. Over the last four months, Nadal has looked good at times and has looked flat at times.

Today, he looked great. His movement was good, and his defense-to-offense was on point. After a tight first set, he steamrolled Berdych in the next two sets and was back to playing target practice with his opponent. The Majorcan eventually topped the Czech 7-5 6-0 6-2 after 2 hours and 28 minutes.

With Spain jumping out to a 1-0 lead and Nadal in good form, this took some pressure off of David Ferrer. Ferrer has really struggled over the last eighteen months. Plus, there was the drama from last year’s Davis Cup final against Argentina.

Ferrer had the more difficult task of playing Radek Stepanek, who has a good all-around game and is known for his head games. Stepanek played well in the first-two sets, and Ferrer looked out of sorts. It looked like it was going to be a replay of last years’ Davis Cup final for the Spaniard.

This time, Ferrer was able to turn the match around and take Stepanek to the distance for a 1-6 2-6 6-4 6-4 8-6 win after 4 hours and 17 minutes of play. At the end of the match, you could tell the win meant a lot to him. It was definitely a good win for Ferrer, his confidence and his critics.

Ferrer’s win now gives Spain some cushion. If he lost, it could have put Spain in a precarious predicament. Spain is now in a good position for another title, but they are still not out of the woods yet.

If any team can rebound from a 2-0 deficit, it is Berdych and Stepanek. The worst kept secret is that Stepanek and Berdych will probably play doubles tomorrow instead of Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek. They are currently undefeated in all three of their Davis Cup matches this year and have a good chance of taking Fernando Verdasco and Felicano Lopez tomorrow. A win tomorrow could spark a Czech run, though Nadal’s play today most likely closes the door on any Czech hopes of a title.

(Images: AP)