The players in the Spanish Davis Cup team are preparing themselves to come up against a partisan Argentinean crowd when they take on Argentina at the Islas Malvinas stadium in Mar del Plata this weekend.

Interest in tennis has reached fever pitch in Argentina this week, with the country eagerly anticipating the forthcoming Davis Cup final clash with Spain. The tournament will also offer many Argentineans their first opportunity to see rising star Juan Martin del Potro in action.

“We know the public here understand tennis, it’s a sport which is well followed,” Spanish captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario told reporters. “It’s normal for them to support the home players and to want them to win. I hope it will all be within the sporting parameters in which tennis is played. We are more worried about the players.”

The absence of Rafael Nadal from the Davis Cup final makes Argentina the favourite to win the event, with the Argentineans boasting an unbeaten home record stretching back a decade. However, some still believe that Nadal’s absence diminishes the importance of the event.

“Personally, I wanted him to be here because he’s a friend and it’s not nice to miss the Davis Cup final,” Argentina’s David Nalbandian said. “It’s a shame because to face the world number one in a Davis Cup final at home would have been really motivating.”