What the Davis Cup Semifinals Mean For...

Spain The defending champions have now won 17 consecutive home ties and 19 in a row on clay. Even with world No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 9 Fernando Verdasco inactive due to injury, their 4-1 victory over Israel was just as comprehensive as one would imagine. David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero lost no sets and only 14 total games in their day one singles wins over Harel Levy and Dudi Sela. It took perhaps team Israel’s strongest link, the doubles pairing of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram, to win their first set. Both Nadal and Verdasco were in attendance during this past weekend’s tie, which indicates their intense interest in DC competition. December’s final round match will take place at home, most certainly on clay, and if those two are healthy it will be all but a formality against… The Czech Republic Radek Stepanek is a cagey veteran and Tomas Berdych a huge hitter, but neither has been known as a clutch player in their professional years. Their results t...