Lopez win leaves Davis Cup final finely poised
Friday, 21 Nov 2008 22:25
The Davis Cup final is being played on indoor hard courts
Feliciano Lopez pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Juan Martin Del Petro to draw Spain level at 1-1 against Argentina in the Davis Cup final.
David Nalbandian had given the hosts the lead after beating David Ferrer 6-3 6-2 6-3 in the opening rubber.
But Lopez put the Spanish level after coming from behind to defeat Del Potro 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-3.
Lopez and Fernando Verdasco will face Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri in tomorrow's doubles.
Nalbandian gave Argentina the perfect start when he broke twice to race into a 5-2 lead in the opening set.
The 26-year-old squandered two break points before Ferrer broke back to trail 3-5. But Nalbandian responded by breaking for a third time to clinch the set.
Both players exchanged breaks early in the second set and Nalbandian repeated the trick in game six on his way to sealing the set.
And the former Wimbledon finalist dominated the third set to lead 4-2 before serving out to clinch victory.
The world number 11 praised the 11,000-strong crowd for inspiring him to victory.
"I played well from start to finish, I was always in control of the situation and the public was incredible," the Argentinean said.
"There were some moments of tension which I managed to keep under control. It was an almost perfect game."
Argentina looked to be heading for a 2-0 lead when Lopez took the opening set against del Potro.
Lopez, ranked 31 in the world, then edged two tense tie-breakers to lead before his opponent required treatment on his right leg.
And the Spaniard capitalized on his opponent's injury with an early break to win after three hours and 19 minutes on court.
Argentina are bidding to win their first Davis Cup while Spain, without the injured Rafael Nadal, are looking to seal their third title.