As if the weather in Texas was not hot enough, the team from Spain brought even more heat to the Davis Cup this weekend. They were able to edge out a victory over America with the 3-1 victory over the United States. The final nail in the coffin came when David Ferrer beat Mardy Fish in the quarterfinals. Even without Rafael Nadal there to help the team to secure the victory, they were able to rally the score needed to move on to the semifinals.

Of course, the match between Feliciano Lopez and Andy Roddick was cancelled on Sunday night as a result of the victory for Ferrer. Roddick was hoping to get another shot at securing a win after his loss to Ferrer on Friday. He did not get his chance as the Spaniard was able to take his place among his teammates as they celebrated their victory.

The final match was determined in a score of 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(5). Just looking at the numbers is enough to tell you that none of the sets were won easily. The two athletes battled out each point to win the games and the sets. In the end, Ferrer was able to secure the victory of Fish when a return shot was wide. Ferrer was overcome with joy as he jumped into the team captain’s, Albert Costa’s, arms and celebrated.

This final defeat was also after Fish fell to Lopez on Friday. In fact, the only point that the Americans were able to receive came as a result of doubles play on Saturday morning. Many are looking at Fish as a main cause of the loss with 20 unforced errors in his match against Ferrer. He was so frustrated by his performance that he actually broke his racquet after losing one of the points.

The defeat was not only a letdown for Fish and the rest of the Americans. It was also a resounding loss for the fans. They were cheering every point and every game won by Fish. When Ferrer was able to defeat him in the final point, the crowd could hardly believe that the match was over and that Spain had advanced to the next round over America.

This is not to say that Ferrer and his teammates did not have the support of the crowd. There were plenty in attendance willing to celebrate right along with the athletes. While the fans supporting the team were much smaller in number, they were loud enough to make their presence known. They also surrounded Ferrer to get autographs form their star.

Spain will move on to the Semifinals where they will battle once again to move into the finals. If Ferrer and Lopez and the rest of the team can keep it up, they look to be a force to be reckoned with. All eyes will be watching to see what is next for this team as it was truly an upset for the Americans.

Photo Credits: go.goflo

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