Mar del Plata, Argentina (My Sportsbook) - Fernando Verdasco was the hero on Sunday, as the lefthander outlasted fellow slugger Jose Acasuso to give visiting Spain an insurmountable 3-1 lead in its best-of-five Davis Cup final against Argentina. The Spaniards won their third Davis Cup title in nine years.
Sunday's schedule called for the reverse singles on Day 3 at Mar del Plata, and in the first, and only, rubber of the day, Spain got the huge victory from Verdasco, who was inserted into the lineup in place of David Ferrer. Acasuso also played as a replacement, as he got the call instead of rising 20-year-old star Juan Martin del Potro from Argentine captain Alberto Mancini, but things didn't quite work out for the stunned hosts.
The 25-year-old Verdasco needed 3 hours, 56 minutes to outlast a game Acasuso 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, as Acasuso finally ran out of gas in the fifth set. The Argentine required some medical attention early in the final stanza, one that was dominated by his talented Spanish counterpart.
Spain, captained by Emilio Sanchez, captured its third Davis Cup title this decade, with the other wins coming in 2000 and 2004.
The world No. 16 Verdasco won despite piling up nine double faults and being out-aced 14-5. He did, however, break the 48th-ranked Acasuso's serve a whopping nine times, compared to five breaks for the Argentine loser, who also tallied 16 more unforced errors (47-31) in the hard-fought setback.
Acasuso was removed from Argentina's doubles lineup in favor of David Nalbandian here on Saturday.
Sunday's scheduled fifth and final rubber between Nalbandian and Spaniard Feliciano Lopez was not played, as the tie concluded at 3-1.
Spain headed into Sunday with a surprising 2-1 lead after winning the pivotal doubles rubber in four sets. A tandem of Verdasco and Lopez got the big point by handling an Argentine duo of Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri in four sets on Day 2 after the two nations split Friday's opening singles. On Day 1, Nalbandian whipped Ferrer in straight sets to get Argentina going, but Lopez then stunned del Potro in four to level the tie.
Including singles and doubles this week, both Verdasco and Lopez were a perfect 2-0 for the visitors on the indoor hardcourt at Estadio Islas Malvinas.
A disappointed Argentina is still seeking that elusive first-ever Davis Cup championship. The three-time finalists also had runner-up finishes in 1981 and 2006.
The Spaniards captured the title here despite playing without world No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal, who pulled out last week due to a knee injury. Nadal was replaced on the team by Marcel Granollers, who did not play here.
Spain is now 3-0 all-time versus Argentina, which was hosting for the first time ever in this series. The Spaniards prevailed at home way back in 1926 and also in 2003.
Team Spain, which is now 3-3 in its all-time Davis Cup finals and appeared in its fourth final this decade, reached this year's final by beating the 32-time and defending champion United States 4-1 in a semifinal in Madrid, while Argentina got past Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires, with del Potro winning a fifth and deciding rubber.
The Argentines had won 13 straight Davis Cup ties as a host.
