Nadal seeks Davis Cup spark

SEVILLE, Spain, Dec 2 (AFP): After a long and gruelling season, Rafael Nadal will seek to summon his last reserves of strength when Spain tackle Argentina in the Davis Cup final in Seville this weekend. Seven years ago, in the same Estadio Olimpico, an 18-year-old Nadal became the youngest player to win the Davis Cup in the event's history after overwhelming America's Andy Roddick with a thrilling display of his potential. He has not disappointed since. With 10 Grand Slam victories, an Olympic gold medal, two more Davis Cup titles and 102 weeks at world number one to his name, the 25-year-old is already one of the most decorated players in tennis. And yet, amid questions about his physical capacity and the emergence of new world number one Novak Djokovic, the Mallorcan is beginning to show increasing signs of weakness. Nadal's all-action style has long prompted concern for his physical well-being but in recent weeks he has shown symptoms of mental fatigue as well. He admitted as much after his elimination by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the ATP Tour Finals in London last month. "I probably feel a bit less passion for the game," he said when asked about the second half of the 2011 season and the fact he has not picked up a single title since the French Open. However, asked about his comments upon his arrival in Seville, he insisted they had been taken out of context. "It's exaggerated. My words were overstated," he said. "But it's true that the season has been difficult. Yes, you can talk about wear and tear after so many years of playing at this level, week after week." In order to rekindle his love of competition, Nadal is counting on "the smell" and "the excitement" of the Davis Cup, despite having had an ambiguous relationship with the competition in the past.