BARCELONA/ODENSE, September 8, 2015
On Tuesday the ITF has announced the teams for the next round of the Davis Cup by BNP Parisbas taking place on 18th to 20th September.
Denmark will host Spain in the first round of the Europe/Africa Group I Play-offs. Conchita Martínez, captain of the Spanish team, has selected David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco and Roberto Bautista-Agut. David Marrero will also travel to Odense, where the tie is taking place, as a fifth player.
Spanish Davis Cup Team vs Denmark
Ferrer, current world number seven, will be Spain’s number one and Nadal ranked on eighth position, number two of the armada. Ferrer has returned to play Davis Cup for the first time since losing the final in Prague in 2012. Nadal, who has a 21-1 win-loss record in singles rubbers, is part of the squad for the first time within two years. Back then, Spain defeated the Ukraine 5-0. Both players haven’t been together in the team since 2011.
“We will have a spectacular team with two top 10-players”, Martínez told in the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona and also ensured that Nadal and Verdasco are going to play the doubles.
The tie will be held inside the Idraetshal Arena in Odense with a capacity of 2,500 seats. The chosen indoor surface is Deco Turf, which is considered to be fast.
Denmark will have to play out of its skin, and maybe even more, if it is to challenger Spain. Captain Kenneth Carlsen has chosen former Wimbledon doubles champion and singles number 256 Frederik Nielsen, 21-year-old world number 992 Mikael Torpegaard, world number 980 Soren Hess-Olesen and former world number 855 Thomas Kromann, who is currently without any ranking points.
Davis Cup Team Denmark
“Spain is huge favourite, but I am optimistic and think that we will have a chance to win. We believe in our abilities and we are chasing the sensation,” Kenneth Carlsen said on Tuesday.
“It is a great thing for the players that we are now taking on the world’s leading tennis nations. Due to our excellent results and good team spirit for several years, we deserved this possibility.”
The city of Odense as well as the entire region on the island of Fyn is also ready to host their guests. “We are really looking forward to welcoming both the Danish and the Spanish team. We have already started with the preparations for a big tennis party. Spectators will come from the whole country and we will take the opportunity to create unique experiences for the people of Fyn as well as the many visitors from outside,” Jane Jegind, alderman for Culture in Odense, told.
