Barcelona - Rafael Nadal put holder Spain into solid 1-0 command of the Davis Cup final with the Czech Republic Friday, crushing Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 in the first singles rubber. The one-way defeat tossed aside losses in his four previous matches this season for world number two Nadal, who went out in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters and then dropped three group matches at last week's ATP season wrapup in London.
Nadal took just under two and a half hours to achieve victory with 28 winners and seven breaks of serve. He committed 21 unforced errors to 40 for Berdych.
"This win was very important to me. I had said that I wanted to be part of the team after missing the last two ties," he said.
"Luckily I was able to give us and the crowd the first point."
David Ferrer was standing by to try to give the hosts another point on the indoor clay in the 16,000-capacity Palau Sant Jordi when he faced Radek Stepanek in the second rubber on the opening day of the weekend competition.
Nadal spent almost an hour and a quarter in grinding out the first set against with a concluding break against number 20 Berdych, a player he had beaten in their four previous matches dating to 2007.
But the pace quickened for the eager Spaniard in the second set, which he dominated before sealing the opening rubber in the third with a backhand winner in front of the sell-out crowd.
"There were nerves at first, but I was able to concentrate in time and I won the match in a good way," said Nadal, now 13-1 in Davis play.
"From the second set I could move much better on the baseline, I knew I could stay in control easily from that point."
Ferrer stands a level 3-3 with world number 12 Stepanek, with the Spaniard winning at the French Open in 2008 and the Czech taking a victory in the third round at Wimbledon last summer.
Nadal is basing the success of his season on the Davis outcome as Spain try to become the first nation to repeat back to back as titleholders since Sweden in 1998.
The Spaniards have won three Davis titles this decade, the first in 2000 in Barcelona at the same venue over Australia, where the teenaged star-in-waiting Nadal served as a flag-bearer.
They added a second in Seville in 2004 against the US and travelled to Argentina a year ago to beat the South Americans for the trophy.
Nadal sat out the Argentine trip to rest injured knees and is keen to make amends this weekend.
Spanish captain Alberto Costa, a member of the 2000 team, opted for Ferrer over injury plagued world number nine Fernando Verdasco, who is scheduled to team in Saturday doubles with Feliciano Lopez.
Spain is all but unbeatable on clay, having won its last 19 ties on the surface and its last 17 ties at home.
All 2009 ties have been at Iberian venues, with the Spaniards holding a 3-2 margin over the Czechs, who won their only Davis Cup title as Czechoslovakia in 1980 by defeating Italy in Prague.
