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Tennis Channel Continues 2008 Davis Cup Chase with Complete, Live Coverage This Weekend

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2008 - Tennis Channel will provide complete coverage of Argentina and Spain’s Davis Cup final in Mar del Plata, Argentina, this weekend, with live telecasts Friday through Sunday.

The year-ending championship between Argentina and Spain will consist of two singles matches on Friday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m., followed by the doubles match Saturday, Nov. 22, at 11 a.m. ET. Tennis Channel’s coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. ET. Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team that wins at least three points winning the Davis Cup final.

Coverage from Mar del Plata, Argentina’s Islas Malvinas Stadium is as follows (subject to change):
Friday, Nov. 21:
10 a.m. ET Live - Singles, First Day
Saturday, Nov. 22:
11 a.m. ET Live - Doubles, Second Day
Sunday, Nov. 23:
10 a.m. ET Live - Singles, Third Day

Argentina and Spain have faced each other twice before, with Spain winning both. The most recent competition was during the 2003 Davis Cup semifinal, when Spain defeated Argentina 3-2 in Malaga, Spain. Among the respective squads’ notable players are Spain’s Marcel Granollers and David Ferrer, and Argentina’s David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro. The Spaniards enter this weekend’s matchup after reaching the Davis Cup final for the sixth time by defeating defending champion United States 4-1 in Madrid, Spain, in September. Argentina beat Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to reach its second Davis Cup final in three years.

Spain, Davis Cup winner in 2000 and 2004, is captained by Emilio Sanchez and features four of the country’s best tennis players. David Ferrer is the World No. 12 singles player and comes into this weekend’s match after an impressive second round run at the Madrid Masters before losing to fellow countryman Feliciano Lopez. Marcel Granollers, World No. 56, is building on a career year that saw him win his first ATP singles title at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships by defeating American James Blake in the final and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2008 Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico. On the doubles front, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, continue to be Spain’s formidable tandem, having reached the semifinals at tournaments in Barcelona and Vienna this year.

Argentina has reached the Davis Cup final three times, but this is the first time it will host the championship. Argentina’s team is captioned by Alberto Mancini and features four of Argentina’s tennis stars. David Nalbandian is the World No. 11 singles player and enters this weekend’s final after winning the Stockholm Open final last month. Juan Martin Del Potro, World No. 8, is building on a career year that saw him win his first ATP title at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart and advancing to the quarterfinals at the US Open before losing to Andy Murray. Agustin Calleri and Jose Acasuso represent Argentina’s doubles team and enter this weekend’s match after reaching the semifinals at the ATP Davidoff Swiss Indoors Tournament in Basel, Switzerland.

Posted on November 20, 2008
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