!93901069 Hi, everyone. Sorry I'm late to work today - I've been out of touch and in the woods for two days, and this morning I learned, while trying to book flights on Expedia, that my credit card e-payments haven't been going through. Had to scramble to book my flight to Sarasota next week, where I'll be spending a little time with Nick Bollettieri (who's just back from Ethopia, with his adopted baby).He's also going on a tour of Iraq and Afghanistan in the coming days, so our window to catch up is small. I'll be posting, perhaps from Bradenton, and certainly when I get back late next week.
But I'm here for the next few days.
It seems that Rafael Nadal decided to get on with his job at the appropriate time, though. He's already beaten Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic today to give Spain a 1-0 lead in the 2009 Davis Cup final. I have a post going live any time now at ESPN on Nadal's Davis Cup heroics, and I found out a few interesting things in the course of writing it. Consider this: Nadal is on the cusp of leading the Spanish team to its third finals win in this decade (Spain also won the Cup without Nadal in 2000), in the course of which he's gone 13-1 (including his win today). Is there any doubt that Nadal is the decade's Davis Cup MVP?
That lone singles loss by Nadal was to Jiri Novak, in Nadal's very first official Davis Cup appearance (2004). Novak represented the Czech Republic, the same squad Spain is engaged with this weekend. In that 2004 tie, Nadal atoned for his loss to Novak by winning a pressure-filled fifth and decisive rubber against - yep - the Worm, Radek Stepanek, who he'll probably meet again on Sunday, unless Spain clinches and they send out the scrubs.
Spain went on that year to win the Cup for the first time since the one-off wonder year of 2000. Since then, it's become a dynasty. By the final of 2004, it was clear that Nadal was the point man on the Spain team. In the final, Spain beat the USA in Sevilla, before the largest crowd ever to witness a pro tennis match (I think the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs exo, besides representing the greatest step for women since they secure the vote (pause for throat clearing), drew a slightly larger crowd). In terms of Nadal's legacy, this is a particularly resonant and important tie. And I think it comes at a time when he can really use a little tonic.
I'm glad he'll have a chance to end the year on a positive note.
-- Pete