The series of Spain in the Davis Cup is running out of chapters to publish. There are none left behind the scenes of a team eliminated in the first round of the tournament. The Dutch duo formed by Koolhof And Van de Zandschulp He won over the couple formed by Alcaraz and Granollers (7-6, 6-4), which ended their participation with a defeat and triggered Nadal’s withdrawal.
“You go here and I go here?” Alcaraz asked, hiding his fingers. Granollers takes the initiative in the game and Carlitos, an exceptional student in this racket, listens and executes. His power at the back of the field, combined with Marcel’s reflexes and touch of the net, pushed the Dutch duo back.
At 38 years old, Granollersafter a life spent playing singles and living in an era of prosperity (he won one ATP500 tournament, three ATP250s and reached 19th in the world rankings), decided to abandon singles and embrace doubles. The result speaks even better. In its showcases are 27 titles, including 11 from the Masters 1,000, some ATP Finals and the world number one obtained a few months ago with the Argentinian Horacio Zeballos.
Marcel is a tennis employee who arrives Malaga like the banner of Spain in doubles, the deciding point in every draw. This is why he teaches Carlos, who changes register with the racket in less than half an hour. The time between his singles match against Griekspoor and the doubles match.
Their gestures also change. He doesn’t put his finger to his ear when he wins a point. Now he points to Marcel and looks for him to celebrate. The Dutch also have good wrists, especially Koolhof, mastermind and executor at the same time of the couple. He has just beaten Granollers in the ATP final and knows the doubles version of Carlos.
They faced each other at the Olympic Games in a match tilted towards the Spanish side. But in doubles, time is relative. Everything happens very quickly both on the track and in Koolhof’s head, who interprets every stroke of the Spanish couple to prevent them from translating initial sensations into results.
Those who said that Alcaraz and Granollers had entered the track better. They were neutralized in the middle of the first round. It was time to roll up your sleeves, put on your blue work overalls and get down into the mud because the set ball slipped away and the tulip duo found themselves in a tie-break full of service losses.
The Spanish couple carries this backpack too much and the weight overwhelms them. They drop out of the first round. The Dutch are targeting him, whose breakup options before sudden death They had been limited to one unit. Granollers and Alcaraz went through a delicate moment which lasted until the start of the second round.
However, Alcaraz and Granollers do not let go and break them. The Dutch wall cracks for the first time, but it doesn’t collapsestays on the lookout and returns the break to wrest the initiative of the set and, ultimately, of the match.
It couldn’t be. Spain’s comeback to avoid Davis Cup elimination and Nadal’s subsequent withdrawal died on the shore. The day started in tears over Rafa’s possible final match and ended in tears with his final retirement and elimination from the Davis Cup.
