Fate of Davis Cup could rest on doubles

The fate of the Davis Cup could hinge on Saturday's crunch doubles clash after defending champions Australia and hosts Spain tied the opening day of action 1-1.

After watching Pat Rafter retire injured with cramps from his singles match against Juan Carlos Ferrero to leave the tie squared at 1-1, Australian captain John Newcombe switched his thoughts to Saturday and said: "The doubles is very important...it should be fun -- but torture to watch."

Lleyton Hewitt had put the Aussies ahead, beating Albert Costa 3-6, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the opening singles while Rafter retired hurt and lost 7-6 (4-7), 6-7 (2-7), 2-6, 1-3.

Spanish captain Javier Duarte was more outspoken. "I think the pressure is more on the Australians because they need to win the doubles," he said.

"If we win the doubles I am sure we will pick up the extra point we need to win the Cup.

"But if they win then of course the pressure will switch to us."

In the absence of Todd Woodbridge, who is at home with his pregnant wife, the other half of the famed 'Woodies' partnership, Mark Woodforde, will line up with Sandon Stolle for Australia.

They will face the Spanish combination of Alex Corretja and Juan Balcells on the Palau Sant Jordi clay court.

And while the Australians are many pundits' favourites for victory, Corretja and Balcells will be no pushovers.

The Australian pair beat Brazilians Gustavo Kuerten and Jaime Oncins in a five-set semifinal match in July but that is the only Davis Cup doubles match they have won together.

Their two other matches ended in defeat -- against Americans Alex O'Brien and Pete Sampras in July 1999 and Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Alex Olhovskiy two months later.

Corretja and Balcells have compiled a 2-1 record this year since teaming up.

They beat Italians Andrea Gaudenzi and Diego Nargiso in the opening round before losing to Kafelnikov and Marat Safin in the quarter-finals.

Last time out, though, they came from two sets to one down to beat America's Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill in the semifinals.

History is not on their side, however. Spain have lost all three of their Davis Cup matches against Australia -- in 1922, 1965 and 1967 -- and have never beaten them in doubles.

Davis Cup final images - Day 1