Tendinitis may rule Nadal out of Davis Cup final

PARIS - OCTOBER 31: Rafael Nadal of Spain receives treatment before withdrawing from his match against Nikolay Davydenko of Russia during the ATP Masters Series at the Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy on October 31, 2008 in Paris, France. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images) Rafael Nadal’s participation in the 2008 Davis Cup final is in jeopardy after the Spanish star was diagnosed with tendinitis on Tuesday.

The doctor for the Spanish team, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, confirmed on Tuesday that tests had detected tendinitis in Nadal’s right knee. Nadal will begin treatment on his knee immediately and will also undergo further testing on the afflicted area.

The Spanish Davis Cup team captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario has confirmed that Nadal will not be picked for the team if his injury problems continue. A further statement is expected on Saturday once doctors have had an opportunity to assess how well Nadal has responded to treatment.

Should Nadal fail to regain fitness in time for the 2008 Davis Cup final, Sanchez Vicario will have to rely on David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco to defeat the Argentineans and claim the Davis Cup title.

“I want to recover and be ready for the important Davis Cup final with my country,” Nadal said before the announcement was made.

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