“The players have had incredible professionalism”

Sergi Bruguera, captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team, made a very positive assessment of the day and the qualification for the Finals. “The doubles was very even and it was good for both teams. A couple of mistakes prevented us from winning against two expert players like Copil and Tecau. Afterwards, Bautista did not lose a single easy ball in the whole game and he played phenomenal”, said the technician, who spoke about the level of tennis in the Navy and the impact it has on selecting players. “It is very expensive to join the team, but all the players will have options, although I always have a lot of problems choosing because there are many in the top-50 and they are all playing very well.”

Bruguera also explained his point of view on the configuration of the doubles pair, after the defeat of Davidovich and Martínez against Romania: “With the current format it has much more weight. Now it is key, because it is 33% of the eliminations in the Finals. But not only do you have to be a specialist, but also know how to play with pressure. Many singles tennis players would be among the best in the world if they were dedicated only to doubles. That must always be valued, but I am very happy with the players I have and I think we can compete for patejas with guarantees”. Finally, the coach valued the change in format, with the group stage separated from the clashes in 2022: “It is more complicated now, I preferred everything in a week, because it is difficult to make the calls and it is to be thanked those who are here for the effort of coming in the middle of the hard court season to play on clay. They have responded with incredible professionalism and giving everything.” In fact, the five (Bautista, Carreño, Alcaraz, Davidovich and Martínez) travel to the United States this Monday to participate in the Indian Wells Masters 1,000.

Carlos Alcarazone of the protagonists for his debut with Spain in the Davis Cup, explains that for him it has been “a great week with the whole team, with people of a high level”. “Off the court we get along well, we had a good time and that is super important. An unforgettable experience, playing at a very good level. I will always carry this memory with me”says the 18-year-old from Murcia.

Satisfied with their debut

Davidovich and Martínez were also happy despite the defeat. “Playing in the Davis Cup is always different. We started well, but you have to give credit to them, they did better at the end of the two sets. One is a pure doubles player and the other serves very well. The party has left us for small details. The trip from Chile was hard, but it had nothing to do with what I’ve done here in Marbella, a place for which I feel special affection”, said Pedro. “Playing at home is a plus that we don’t have throughout the year, because they rarely play in Spain. I really enjoyed Pedro, but maybe we were a little tense and they were more doubles. This has been a first step and playing with the Spanish flag is a motivation. I would like to play individual matches in the future, but I have three or four players in front of me,” Alejandro explained.