Missing Nando

I have just realised something.

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We all know that Davis Cup has just started. I think we probably all know that the first day of the Spain/Serbia tie got postponed due to high wind. But one thing I did NOT know is that Nando Verdasco is NOT on the Spanish team.

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Look, I'm sorry, but whose dumb idea was that? I know there's a great deal of depth in Spanish men's tennis at the moment, but even so, Nando is probably one of the first people you want on your team. I mean, I can understand selecting Rafa above him, because hello, Rafa is Rafa, but I would have picked Nando before Ferrer, Robredo and Lopez, any day of the week.

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Robredo is showing some great form at the moment, sure, but neither Ferrer nor Lopez have done anything especially remarkable so far this year, whereas Verdasco certainly has. That semi he played against Nadal at the Aussie Open is one of the greatest matches we have seen in recent history. And please - the man is a freaking Davis Cup hero. He basically won the thing for Team Spain on those fateful three days in Mar del Plata. When the Boss was down and out, it was not Robredo, Lopez or Ferrer that stepped up to lead for their country. It was Nando Verdasco.

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SO WHERE IS HE?

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My apologies to those responsible for the Spanish Davis Cup selection panel if Nando is injured or otherwise unavilable and I wasn't in on the memo - which is probably likely. But if he was available and you didn't pick him... shame on you. Shame.

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Today's Results

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Davis Cup

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Argentina 2, Netherlands 0

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Juan Ignacio Chela def. Jesse Huta Galung, 6-2 2-6 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 6-2

Juan Monaco def. Thiemo de Bakker, 6-1 6-2 7-6 (7-1)

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France 1, Czech Republic 1

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Tomas Berdych def. Gilles Simon, 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Radek Stepanek, 7-5 6-2 7-6 (7-1)

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Switzerland 1, USA 0

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Stanislas Wawrinka def. James Blake, 3-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-3)

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Croatia 2, Chile 0

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Mario Ancic def. Nicolas Massu, 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-4)

Marin Cilic def. Paul Capdeville, 6-1 6-2 6-1

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Sweden 1, Israel 1

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Thomas Johansson def. Harel Levy, 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-5 4-6 8-6

Dudi Sela def. Andreas Vinciguerra, 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 11-9

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Russia 2, Romania 0

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Marat Safin def. Victor Crivoi, 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-4

Mikhail Youzhny def. Victor Hanescu, 6-4 6-2 6-4

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Austria 1, Germany

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Stefan Koubek def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-4 7-5 5-7 6-2

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Jurgen Melzer, 6-7 (4-7) 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3