Getty

Argentinian player David Nalbandian celebrates after winning against Russian player Mikhail Youzhny on July 11, 2010, during their quarterfinal match of the Davis Cup World Group in Moscow. Nalbandian won 6-7, 4-6, 3-6.

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He can't seem to play anywhere else anymore. I can't even remember the last time I've seen him hit a tennis ball at an ATP event, yet here he is doing what he does in Davis Cup once again:

Winning.

Russian team players haven't exactly been in the mood for great tennis of late, but still: DaVEED led Argentina to a victory over Russia in Davis Cup in Moscow.

Mardy Fish added a grass court title to his resume in Newport, completing the career, all-surface title holder list with only his fourth career title.


AP

And Rafael Nadal was in South Africa to witness his nation's history-making performance in the World Cup.

I watched a bit of it. Given that my mate is from the Netherlands and we have a visitor from the Netherlands interning on the farm, it's safe to see I flew solo in the field for most of the day yesterday.

Depressed, they emerged after the final ready to sow fall crops. Carrots, beets, scallions, leeks, lettuce, rutabagas, celeriac, sugar peas, and more carrots. They were quite industrious.

Had to break the news to the mate, after the fact, of course, that while I couldn't exactly cheer for Spain, I didn't see the Netherlands winning their first World Cup title in South Africa. Karma and all that.

But that's an essay for another blog and another time.

Back in Davis Cup, France kicked Spain squarely in the teeth. Guess the Spanish team was somewhere else...

by Craig Hickman


Getty

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts against David Nalbandian of Argentina during day six of the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 28, 2010 in Key Biscayne, Florida.

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Singles - Third Round
[4] R Nadal (ESP) d [WC] D Nalbandian (ARG) 67(8) 62 62
[6] A Roddick (USA) d S Stakhovsky (UKR) 62 61
[8] J Tsonga (FRA) d [28] P Kohlschreiber (GER) 62 75
[12] J Ferrero (ESP) d [17] J Isner (USA) 62 36 63
[15] D Ferrer (ESP) d [24] I Karlovic (CRO) 76(5) 63
B Becker (GER) d [18] T Robredo (ESP) 16 64 76(1)
[27] T Bellucci (BRA) d O Rochus (BEL) 63 64
[33] N Almagro (ESP) d J Chardy (FRA) 62 67(9) 63

About the only tennis I saw yesterday was a set and a half of Rafa against Nalby and a bit of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga against Philip Kohlschreiber. Nalby still has it all, but needs to get his cardio back in order. Rafa simply refused to lose and wore Nalby into the cement by the middle of the third set. Tsonga still has brain farts and for all his talent, Kohlschreiber is basically a weakling.

It was good to see some tennis finally. I almost forgot what it looked like.

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Doubles - First Round
[1] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d [LL] D Istomin (UZB) / F Moser (GER) 60 62
[3] L Dlouhy (CZE) / L Paes (IND) d R Hutchins (GBR) / J Kerr (AUS) 64 76(4)
[4] M Bhupathi (IND) / M Mirnyi (BLR) d S Huss (AUS) / W Moodie (RSA) 64 75
[6] S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) d J Melzer (AUT) / P Petzschner (GER) 63 67(4) 14-12
[7] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) d R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU) 76(1) 64
F Lopez (ESP) / F Verdasco (ESP) d M Llodra (FRA) / A Ram (ISR) 62 75
E Butorac (USA) / R Ram (USA) d [WC] R Harrison (USA) / N Lapentti (ECU) 61 75
I Andreev (RUS) / M Youzhny (RUS) d M Fish (USA) / M Knowles (BAH) 75 64

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Women's Singles - Third Round
(2) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. (32) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 16 61 64
(4) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 64 62
(7) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) d. (28) Elena Vesnina (RUS) 76(3) 63
(9) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Virginie Razzano (FRA) 46 75 61
(11) Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d. Sara Errani (ITA) 62 63
(14) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (17) Shahar Peer (ISR) 60 61
(22) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) d. (15) Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 75 63
(WC) Justine Henin (BEL) d. (26) Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 64 64

Clijsters looks like she's on a mission. Wonder how she'll fare against Justine this time around.

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Women's Doubles - Second Round
Dulko/Pennetta (ARG/ITA) d. (2) Llagostera Vives/Martínez Sánchez (ESP/ESP) 46 63 10-7
(3) Petrova/Stosur (RUS/AUS) d. Govortsova/Kudryavtseva (BLR/RUS) 60 75
Chan/Zheng (TPE/CHN) d. Grandin/Spears (RSA/USA) 64 46 119
Coin/King (FRA/USA) d. Jans/Uhlirova (POL/CZE) 64 62
Kirilenko/Radwanska (RUS/POL) d. (WC) Clijsters/Flipkens (BEL/BEL) 62 75

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Reuters

John Isner took Novak Djokovic, arguably the third best clay court player in the world last year, to five sets on clay in Serbia.

I'm going to say that again:

John Isner took Novak Djokovic, arguably the third best clay court player in the world last year, to five sets on clay in Serbia.

Make of the American's game whatever you will, but that was some effort.

Apparently, Venus Williams was tweeting about her nerves. If one believes Justin Gimelstob, President Obama was watching the match.

Whatever the case, Isner spilled his blood and guts all over the place. Made a temperamental Djoke earn it.

All this after pinch hitting for Mike Bryan in doubles the day before and getting the win to give himself a chance to do it again in singles.

Who knows what would have happened had Isner been fresh for the crucial singles rubber, but what did happen was fantabulous. One of our guests who doesn't even watch tennis couldn't avert her eyes in the match's final game.

I think this new American team has a foundation upon which to build a competitive team.

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Reuters

David Nalbandian plays Davis Cup ties like no other. Just when you thought it was safe to write him off once again....

Injured a few weeks back, he kept Argentina in the tie against Sweden in Sweden by winning the doubles rubber with Horacio Zeballos and then clinches the tie with a four-set win in the live fifth.

Most Valuable Player.

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Complete Davis Cup results.

AP

Tennis player David Nalbandian, from Argentina, is seen during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

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If it wasn't for bad luck...

The Heineken Open was hit with a huge blow today when the tournament's biggest draw card David Nalbandian was forced to pull out.

The former top 10 player picked up a light abdominal strain when training in Auckland today and after receiving an MRI scan at Auckland Hospital he made the decision to withdraw from the Open.

Nalbandian was on the comeback trail from a hip operation that has sidelined him since May last year.

This was to be his first tournament since then but there is a question mark over when he'll take to the court again as the injury is likely to mean he'll miss next week's Australian Open.

Nalbandian's exit is a crushing blow to tournament organisers, who have struggled to bring in any big names for this year's event with Nalbandian the only player in the field with genuine superstar status.

Read the rest...