Carlos Alcaraz kept Spain alive in the Davis Cup with its singles victory against Griekspoor (7-6 [7/0] and 6-3), but then the doubles could not complete the comeback (6-7 [4/7] y 6-7 [3/7]) and Spain is eliminated, therefore it has already arrived the hard day when you can call Rafa Nadal a former tennis player. “We are at the limit, and even more so on this fast track,” said the Spaniard after losing to Van de Zandschulp. Carlos gave an extra life, but in this Davis format the game in pairs takes more prominence and decides eliminations. He touched cross.
Carlos was 4-0 in the previous matches against Griekspoor, but he was slow to erupt, as if Nadal’s loss had affected the entire team. «I have only been able to see Rafa’s first three games, they got on my nerves. “If I stayed until the end I wouldn’t have been able to play,” the Murcian admitted. In the first set he even had to come back from a break down, but then he recovered and began to find his shots, his intensity and his ball speed, to close the set with a blank tiebreak. At that moment, Rafa was already on the bench, cheering like one more, like all of Martín Carpena. The second set was won by Alcaraz in the street and everything was pending what happened with the doubles.
David Ferrer did not change the initial plans and decided to bet on Marcel Granollers, as is logical, since this year he has been number one in the world in the specialty, along with Carlos Alcaraz. A player also returned to the Netherlands, Van de Zandschulp, to play with Koolhof, the specialist of the “orange” team, who, like Rafa, will end his career after this Davis Cup.
On a surface like this and playing in pairs, anything can happen. This modality is curious, since it is played with the racket and also with the hands and the mouth, as if it were mus. “Are you going here or here?” Carlos could be heard saying perfectly, while from behind he made the gesture of one serve direction and another. Everything was very even, with options for both sides. Carlos and Marcel even got a set point in the first, which they couldn’t take advantage of and went with a break lead (4-2) in the second. Koolhof demonstrated his mastery especially in the volley, leaving a couple of impressive details. What a hand. Together with her partner’s serve, they formed a team that was difficult to beat. Granollers tried it with his speed on the net, Alcaraz with his magic shots, with a lob, with a little drop, even asking for the support of the public, which did not fail. But not even those were enough for Nadal to have another day as a tennis player.
