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9/17/09 11:07 PM | Ricky Dimon
Despite not having Rafael Nadal at their disposal, the Spaniards are heavily favored as they host Israel this weekend in Davis Cup semifinal action. David Ferrer kicks things off for Spain against Harel Levy.
No Rafael Nadal, no problem. At least that's what defending Davis Cup champion Spain hopes will be the case when it hosts Israel in a semifinal tie this weekend.
Nadal had been nominated for the team, but--not surprisingly--he is not playing after an abdominal strain hobbled him throughout the hard-court summer. The world No. 2, of course, has also been dealing with knee tendinitis, a problem that forced him to miss Wimbledon. Nadal, however, still joined his teammates in making the trip to Murcia, Spain for this weekend's showdown.
On the court, the task is up to David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero in singles, and Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo in doubles. Lopez's long-time doubles partner, Fernando Verdasco, is out with a foot injury.
With two key components on the sidelines, Spain definitely hopes to get off to a good start in order to prevent their underdog opponents from gaining early confidence. Ferrer will have that job when he takes on Harel Levy in the first singles rubber on Friday. The 27-year-old Spaniard is no longer a staple of the Top 10 as he once was, but he is 39-20 this season and registers at 19th in the world. Ferrer struggled on the U.S. hard courts, but on his favorite surface, clay, he reached the semifinals in Hamburg and the final (lost to Nadal) in Barcelona earlier this season.
Levy is ranked No. 140, but don't count the 31-year-old out when he plays Davis Cup. He has three wins outside of the Challenger circuit so far in 2009, and all three have come while playing for Israel. He played two five-setters in round one against Sweden, losing 8-6 in the fifth to Tomas Johansson before outlasting Andreas Vinciguerra 8-6 in the fifth in reverse singles. In July's quarterfinal tie against Russia, Levy upset both Igor Andreev and Igor Kunitsyn.
Does Levy have another near-miracle up his sleeve? An upset in his first career meeting with Ferrer would be an enormous achievement, especially on clay and in hostile Spanish territory. It's possible, but Ferrer will be inspired by the atmosphere and should be able to get back on track. Ferrero in straight sets to give Spain a 1-0 lead is the pick.
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