Rafael Nadal held off a determined challenge from Juan Martin Del Potro to defeat the Argentine in four sets and seal Spain's fifth Davis Cup title.
Del Potro gave everything he had but ultimately came up just short in a gut-wrenching epic which went on for nearly four hours. Few gave Del Potro much chance going into the rubber after Nadal's obliteration of Juan Monaco on the opening day but the 6'6 former US Open champion came flying out of the blocks, reeling off seven straight games to lead by a set and a break and send his supporters into raptures.
However the signs of energy loss were already beginning to show for Del Potro and he was clinging on by the end of set two. Nadal pounced, thumping away a smash into the stands to level the match and from there on the floodgates opened.
Nadal swept away with set three but from somewhere Del Potro found a second wind and Nadal was once again on the back foot in the fourth. The momentum shifted back and forth as both players served for the set. By this stage Del Potro was pulling up with pain in his legs and there was nothing he could do as Nadal romped through the decisive tiebreak to seal a truly memorable 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(0) victory.
“It’s the perfect end to the season,” said Nadal. “The atmosphere is really, really unbelievable so thank you very much all the Spanish crowd, all the Argentina crowd that makes this confrontation really really special and unforgettable.”
