The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will not see Horacio Zeballos in action, a regular partner of the Spanish Marcel Granollers on the ATP circuit and current number two in the ATP doubles ranking (he and Granollers became number one after the Mutua Madrid Open).
Zeballos, 39, has been left off the list for the Olympic Games confirmed this Tuesday by the Argentine Tennis Association and which has Guillermo Coria and Mercedes Paz as captains. A list in which Coria has included Sebastián Báez, Francisco Cerúndolo, Mariano Navone and Tomás Martín Etcheverry as representatives for the men’s singles team, while for the doubles he has opted for the couple formed by Andrés Molteni and Máximo González, current numbers 18 and 20 respectively in the ATP doubles ranking. Argentina completes its team with the presence of Lourdes Carlé and Nadia Podoroska for the women’s individual tournament.
Following the controversy generated by the non-inclusion of Zeballos, Argentine captain Guillermo Coria explained the reasons that motivated the world number two in doubles not to be included in the list. “We had eight players for six positions and making the decision has not been easy, especially in doubles. The decision has been exclusively sporting, there was nothing external, and we thought it was the best for the country. When Facu Díaz Acosta (the other big absentee on the list) won the Pan American gold in Santiago, we said that four would go to the singles draw and two doubles players. We have spoken a lot with Horacio and he has spoken a lot with ‘Machi’ and Molteni. Communication was always very fluid and we gave specific explanations to each player and their coaches. I called Horacio in the last qualifying round so that he could meet the Davis requirement and that all three would be eligible. But when making a decision we leaned towards what we believe is best for the country.”
Coria also stressed that Zeballos’ loss in two Davis Cup qualifiers made him opt for González and Molteni. “Horacio couldn’t be in two important Davis Cup series and Molteni came in to play with ‘Machi’ in Finland. They were very good and reaffirmed it on the circuit. Last year they had a great year and qualified for the Finals and this year they have done well too. I understand that it hurts Zeballos not to be able to be in the Games, but she understood it and accepted it. He greatly appreciated when he told various media outlets that he knew it was not easy to break up a couple that had been doing well. We know that in doubles you need a lot of chemistry and that is why we decided on Machi and Molteni.”
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2024-06-26 07:05:38
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