The Davis Cup Group Stage starts this Tuesday in Valencia, where the Spanish team is entrusted Carlos Alcaraz to reach the Final Eight to be played from November 19 to 24 in Malagain search of the Salad Bowl.
Spain, who received an invitation from the organization to compete in this Group Phase, will compete in Group B where it will face Australia, a finalist last year, France and the Czech Republic, who finished first in last year’s group year in Valencia searching for one of the two places at stake for the Final Stage. A complex group that combines a total of 47 titles between four teams that know what it is to win the Salad Bowl and on more than one occasion all of them.
Spanish captain David Ferrer will count on Alcaraz as the team’s undisputed number one and has called on experienced players such as Roberto Bautista, Pablo Carreño and Marcel Granollersas well as Valencia player Pedro Martínez.
Ferrer commented in the press conference before the start of the tournament that he considers it the “most complicated” group because of the equality of all the teams, so he does not believe there are favorites, although he is confident in his players and the good team atmosphere that existed during the preparation days in Valencia, as well as the fact of having public support.
In addition, he stressed that this year the condition of the court is better and the players are comfortable here, because he remembered that in the edition two years ago it was “very slow” and last year was “fast”.
For training, the RFET summoned the young man Rafa Jodar, 17-year-old tennis player who last week won the US Junior Open.
Spain will not fail
After the failure of not passing the Group Stage last year, Spain will not be disappointed in this edition where it can count on Carlos Alcaraz, who will not be in the 2023 event, in search of its seventh Davis Cup, a title won since 2019.
Spain will make their debut this Wednesday against the Czech Republic, while on Friday they will face France and on Sunday they will end their participation against Australia.
The Murcian tennis player had an amazing summer where he won his first Roland Garros and his second Wimbledon title, in addition to winning the Olympic silver medal after an epic final against Novak Djokovic in Paris.
The student of Juan Carlos Ferrero accused the physical and mental fatigue of the North American tour, where the results did not go with him, although this Monday he indicated that he is very good physically and motivated to face the it will be his second appointment with Davis, after his debut two years ago.
With Alcaraz, Ferrer had to decide between Roberto Bautista and Pablo Carreño to pick number two of the singles. The veteran player from Castellón, who already knows what it means to win the Davis Cup, started in principle with an advantage over the Asturian tennis player, who after overcoming physical problems that almost made him blank last year, is fighting to recover what he can. version.
Pedro Martínez completes the national team with Marcel Granollers, a fixture in doubles waiting to find out who will be his dance partner, as it could be any of his teammates, especially after Alcaraz’s Olympic experience with Rafa Nadal in this modality.
Australia, the current runner-up, has 28 salad bowls
Captained by the legendary Lleyton Hewitt, Australia will try to win the title they lost last year after losing the final against Italy, which deprived them of adding twenty-nine salad bowls to their record, as second country with the most titles after. the United States.
The ‘Aussies’ are a classic in this competition and for this year’s edition they will have the important last minute loss of Álex de Miñaur, fourth finalist in all Grand Slams this year except Australia, who was replaced by Thanassi Kokkonakis.
This way, the team’s number one will go to Alexei Popyrin, winner in Montreal last month, and Australia have a unique trio of players to make up the doubles, as Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell will face off in the Valencia event after to win the US Open title; while Mathew Ebden won the doubles title at the Australian Open and the Paris Olympics.
France likes to keep its laurels green
The French team, a Davis classic with ten titles, is not going through the best moments of tennis, but will fight to reach the Final Eight and fight for a trophy it has not won since 2017, when it defeated Belgium in the final in Lille.
The team will consist of Ugo Humbert, an indoor specialist who won this season the ATP titles in Marseille and Dubai; the young Arthur Fils, the great promise of 20-year-old French tennis, who won this year in Hamburg; Arthur Rinderknech, Pierre Hugues Herbert and veteran Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who turns 41 next month.
The Czech Republic couldn’t be more of a surprise
The Czech team, three-time Davis Cup champions, surprised last year’s edition, after qualifying first in the group in Valencia after defeating Spain, Serbia and Korea, although in the Final Eight in Malaga they did not lose Australia in the quarterfinals of the final.
The young team led by Jaroslav Navratil, consists of Jiri Lehecka, 22 years old, who in 2024 added the Adelaide title to his record and was a semi-finalist in Madrid; By his side he will be joined by Tomas Mahac (23 years old) and Jakub Mensik (19 years old), as well as Vit Kopriva and Adam Pavlasek
Source: La Verdad
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