BENIDORM, SPAIN // The world No 1 Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 today to give champions Spain an unassailable 3-1 lead in their Davis Cup World Group first-round tie.
Nadal and David Ferrer both won their opening singles in straight sets on Saturday, Ferrer upsetting an erratic Djokovic and the Australian Open champion Nadal thrashing Janko Tipsarevic to put Spain 2-0 ahead.
Nenad Zimonjic and Viktor Troicki then beat Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo, also in three sets, to keep Serbia alive ahead of the reverse singles.
The tie had been due to begin on Friday but play was postponed after high winds damaged the seating at the purpose-built clay court arena, set in the hills above the Mediterranean resort of Benidorm.
Against Nadal, Djokovic put up a better fight than he had in his error-strewn loss to Ferrer but he was unable to cope with the powerful Majorcan's superior hitting and his attempts to mix it up with drop shots largely ended in failure.
It was Nadal's 12th win in 12 Davis Cup singles rubbers since he lost his 2004 debut against Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic.
The second seeds Spain will play either Germany or Austria in the quarter-finals in July. Germany were leading their tie 2-1 after the second day's play in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Ferrer was due to play Tipsarevic in Sunday's remaining singles in the best-of-five tie.
*Reuters
SCHEDULE
December 8: UAE v USA (Sharjah Cricket Stadium)
December 9: USA v Scotland (Sharjah Cricket Stadium)
December 11: UAE v Scotland (Sharjah Cricket Stadium)
December 12: UAE v USA (ICC Academy Oval 1)
December 14: USA v Scotland (ICC Academy Oval 1)
December 15: UAE v Scotland (ICC Academy Oval 1)
All matches start at 10am
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
More on Quran memorisation:
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
