Rafael Nadal commits to Davis Cup in July

Courtesy: Dominion Post

Rafa Nadal will make himself available for Spain's Davis Cup quarter-final against United States or Chile in July, the world number one said after Saturday's victory over Belgium.

The French Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion won his singles match on Friday on his return from a month-long injury layoff before doubles pair Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez gave Spain an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best of five tie.

United States are 2-1 up against Chile in Santiago ahead of Sunday's two reverse singles matches.

"My intention is to be in the Davis Cup," Nadal, who was absent when Spain lost 5-0 to France in last year's quarter-finals, said at a news conference with his team mates and Spain captain Albert Costa.

"My decision is always that I will play, but I don't know what will happen in four months, if I will be tired or as fresh as a daisy, I can't say," the Majorca native said, adding that he and Lopez would play Sunday's dead singles matches.

"In tennis you can plan the tournaments you play but you never know how many games you will have."

The quarter-final would come immediately after a gruelling stretch of the season for Nadal who will be defending his French Open and Wimbledon titles during June and July.

It would also involve a long-haul flight and the prospect of a hardcourt clash with a side boasting Andy Roddick should the U.S., who have a 5-4 winning record against Spain, get the point they need for victory in Chile on Sunday.

The U.S. and Spain last played each other in the 2008 semi-finals, when Spain won 4-1 on clay in Madrid before going on to defeat Argentina in the final.

Their last meeting on hard courts came in the U.S. the previous year when Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan twins gave the home side a 4-1 victory.

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"They are one of the toughest teams we could get playing away, with Roddick and (John) Isner and the world's best doubles pair (the Bryans)," Lopez said in an interview with Spanish TV.

"We played there once (in 2007) and were competitive but didn't manage to beat them. Hopefully we can go there this summer and win and seal a place in the semis."

Spain have dominated the Davis Cup in recent years, winning in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2009. They were runners-up in 2003.