Davis Cup Tips: Del Potro no pushover for Nadal

Davis Cup Betting / Sean Calvert / 04 December 2011 /

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Can Juan Martin del Potro land today's bet?

"Delpo will give his absolute all though in the final match of the year and lets take a chance on the big man with a 7.5 game start on the handicap at around [2.14]."

Rafa's on his favourite red clay of home and, while he should win, Juan Martin del Potro can trouble him... for a little while at least

It was a great day for Argentina and for this column yesterday at the Davis Cup Final in Seville, as the visitors won their first point of the tie.

As predicted, David Nalbandian and Eduardo Schwank were far too classy for the established but flaky duo of Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez and the Argentines brought home the win in straight sets at a handy price of [2.4].

So, it keeps the tie going into Sunday's deciding rubbers, although Spain are still huge favourites at [1.03] outright with the remaining two singles to be played today.

The first, and most likely the last as far as a competitive tie is concerned, is scheduled to be Rafa Nadal versus Juan Martin Del Potro in what could be a very entertaining clash.

Nadal is a massive favourite for this at around [1.11] and, on this slow clay surface that's pretty similar to that at the French Open, it's hard to see him getting beaten.

Juan Monaco didn't have the firepower to hit through a supposedly exhausted Nadal in the first rubber, but at least Nadal knows that Del Potro does have those weapons, as he proved so spectacularly at the US Open of 2009 when he hammered Rafa in three punishing sets.

Obviously, conditions are a lot different in Seville and Rafa will be able to get a lot more of Delpo's thumping ground strokes back into play and you would have to question the Argentinian's physical condition after a brutal five setter against David Ferrer on Friday.

Ferrer got the better of Delpo through better fitness fitter and being able to get one more ball back into play on this slow dirt. Nadal will do the same and in all probability do it that bit better, so I expect him to win the Cup for Spain in this tie.

Delpo will give his absolute all though in the final match of the year and lets take a chance on the big man with a 7.5 game start on the handicap at around [2.14].

Follow Sean on Twitter @seancalvert1

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