Associated Press
February 9, 2025

MADRID, Spain (AP) � When it fell on teenager Rafael Nadal to keep 2003 Davis Cup runner-up Spain in this year's competition, he knew he'd deliver against the Czech Republic in Brno.

Nadal, 17, the youngest player to represent Spain in it's 83-year Cup history, won the decisive last singles match against Radek Stepanek on Sunday to advance Spain into the quarterfinals against the Netherlands in April. "When I stepped out of the changing room, Nadal told me to just concentrate on winning my point because he would win his, definitely," teammate Feliciano Lopez said, according to El Pais newspaper on Monday.

Lopez won the first reverse singles to even the tie at 2-2, leaving Nadal to win the match - after losing his singles on Friday and doubles on Saturday - in the absence of injured stars Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya.

"Heroic fightback," stated the sports daily Marca on Monday.

With team No. 1 Tommy Robredo aged 21, and Lopez 22, Spain's team was the youngest in the World Group at the weekend.