Granollers replaces Nadal in Davis Cup

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BARCELONA, Spain -- Marcel Granollers will replace the injured Rafael Nadal when Spain plays Argentina in the Davis Cup final. Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario called on the 56th-ranked Granollers on Tuesday to make his Davis Cup debut in place of the top-ranked Nadal, who is out of the Nov. 21-23 final because of a knee injury. Sanchez Vicario filled out the rest of the squad with expected players. David Ferrer will lead Spain in singles, while Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez are expected to pair up in doubles. Santiago Ventura, ranked 122nd, will also travel with the team to Argentina on Thursday as the first substitute. Argentina will be represented by Juan Martin del Potro, David Nalbandian, Jose Acasuso and Agustin Calleri for the best-of-five series on an indoor hard court in Mar del Plata. Sanchez Vicario said that the relatively unknown Granollers could also play doubles, which would mean he is ready to use either Verdasco or Lopez for singles. "Granollers is a player who plays well in doubles and it could be a very nice experience for him," Sanchez Vicario said. "We'll see him participate at some point." The 22-year-old Granollers won both the singles and doubles titles at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships earlier this year. The Spain captain said that Nicolas Almagro, Tommy Robredo and former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero had all been considered for the fourth spot, but Granollers was in better shape. "A Plan B doesn't exist, so when you speak about getting here, to this late moment in the competition when the No. 1 player in Spain -- in the world -- can't play, it makes things complicated," Sanchez Vicario said. Robredo, who has been a regular for Spain since 2004, had already ruled himself out as a possible replacement due to fitness. Without Nadal, Argentina is the favourite to lift the Davis Cup trophy for the first time at the Islas Malvinas stadium on its third try -- and second in three years. "The Argentines are celebrating what happened yesterday. I won't celebrate anything because the tie is long and we have a chance at winning," Spanish tennis federation president Pedro Munoz said. The tendinitis in Nadal's right knee failed to respond after a week of treatment and the team doctor said that without three-to-six weeks recovery Nadal risked aggravating the injury that forced him to retire from the Paris Masters. Nadal then pulled out of this week's Masters Cup in a bid to be ready for the final. "It's a shame that (Nadal) can't be with us," Sanchez Vicario said. "We'll train as hard as we can and do all we can to represent Spain. (But) we don't have to speak about (Nadal) any more because he's not going to be in the team." The 22-year-old Nadal won both of his singles matches to lead Spain over the United States 4-1 in the semifinals. Nadal won a fourth straight French Open and his first Wimbledon title to supplant Roger Federer at No. 1 this year before earning Olympic gold. Spain triumphed in the two prior meetings between the Spanish-speaking countries, with the first coming 82 years ago. Spain rallied from 2-0 down in the 2003 quarter-finals for a 3-2 win. Argentina beat Russia 3-2 to reach its third final.