Djokovic, Medvedev and a Spain with glasses

The Davis Cup finals, which could not be held in 2020 due to the pandemic, return with the ‘Piqué Format’ that premiered in the 2019 edition, in which Spain was crowned in the Caja Mágica. A Spain that was going to change the safety of Rafa Nadal, injured, by the illusion of Carlos Alcaraz, who at 18 was one of the great attractions until he tested positive for coronavirus 24 hours before debuting. Yes there will be four top-ten players: Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner. Number three, Alexander Zverev, resigned to contest it, as he did in the previous edition. The Greece of Stefanos Tsitsipas (injured in the Masters) is not classified. Neither the Norway of Casper Ruud or Poland with Hubert Hurkacz. Added to this are the casualties of the aforementioned Nadal and Matteo Berrettini, who fell at the Turin Masters reducing the potential of one of the teams called to be protagonists, with Sinner (20 years), the emerging Musetti (19) and the unpredictable Fabio Fognini.

The Kosmos group, organizer of the competition, and the International Federation learned from the first experience, in which several qualifying rounds lasted until dawn, and they opted for a multi-site format with Madrid (which changes the Caja Mágica for Madrid Arena), Turin (Italy) and Innsbruck (Austria), where the matches will be played behind closed doors due to the new confinement in the country. In 11 days instead of a week.

Davis, always unpredictable, will keep a surprise in the Salad Bowl. But for the moment it starts with the certainty that Russia is the most powerful team, a priori. Number two Daniil Medvedev, who did not play in 2019, joins a group with Andrey Rublev (5th), Karen Khachanov (29th) and in which the surprising Aslan Karatsev (18th), winner this year in Dubai and Moscow, has appeared. and, above all, semifinalist in Australia. A fearsome squad that has gone to fall in the group of the champion in Madrid. Spain, with a top-20 like Pablo Carreño, the renowned doubles player Marcel Granollers, the stripes of Feliciano López and the late recruits Albert Ramos and Pedro Martínez will have to fight for the first place in a dog-face duel or try to be one of the two best seconds to be in the quarterfinals. Roberto Bautista (19th), who was destined to be number one in Spain, fell due to injury four days before the premiere, and Alcaraz’s nail was on fire.

But above all the aspirants, the shadow of Novak Djokovic and Serbia, who share a group in Innsbruck with Germany and Austria, plans. Number one is determined to give his country a second Salad Bowl. And when something is proposed, everything is possible.

Spain defends title in the Caja Mágica. Two years have passed since he raised the Salad Bowl after defeating Canada 2-0 and the same protagonists (Bautista, Carreño, Feliciano and Granollers) were going to remain except one. The most decisive. A Rafa Nadal who spent 14 hours and 12 minutes on the track, participating in eight of the 11 victories (five singles and three doubles) for Sergi Bruguera’s team. But Bautista and Alcaraz also cause casualties.

There will be no ‘Mister Davis Nadal’, who has a record of 29-1 (he only lost in his debut in Brno in 2004, at the age of 17. And in the absence of Bautista, the champion threw himself into the arms of the most exciting player of the last years: Carlos Alcaraz The Murcian, installed in the 32nd position of the WTA with only 18 years, had just been proclaimed champion of the Masters NextGen (U-21), reached the quarterfinals at the US Open and had knocked down this course to three top-ten. But she will not be. The potential of the champion drops many integers. Albert Ramos and Pedro Martínez Portero entered the team at the last minute.

Novak Djokovic is the dazzling star of the Davis Cup. He will lead a Serbia who were already champions with him in 2010 in Belgrade and then lost another final in 2013 at home against the Czech Republic. He arrives wounded by the defeats in the Tokyo Games where he was looking for gold and came without a medal, the US Open against Medvedev that prevented him from completing the Grand Slam and in the semifinals of the recent Masters Cup against Zverev. But he has closed year number one for the seventh time and the competition for countries motivates him. “I like the way I’m playing and I look good for Davis. It doesn’t depend only on me, but I trust that the boys are healthy and motivated. I’m going to play for my country,” he said.

Medvedev and Rublev’s Russia is scary. Canada takes off on the horn casualties of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, who mixed so well in 2019 to reach the final. Sinner and Musetti’s renewed Italy is exciting. A Great Britain without Murray but with a Cameron Norrie (12th) who has been uncovered. And the always competitive Croatia, France or Australia ensure strong emotions.