Rafael Nadal’s countryman, David Ferrer, has defeated Radek Stepanek of Czech Republic in the first rubber in the final of the Davis Cup. With this victory, Spain has now got ahead by 1-0. Ferrer won the match in the straight sets by 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Spain has already won the Davis Cup thrice in the last four years and five times overall. The way Ferrer played in the first match; it seems that it would be pretty tough for the Czech Republic to stop Spain from winning its sixth Davis Cup title.

Ferrer was appointed as the captain of the Spanish team before the final because the regular captain Rafael Nadal was injured. The Spanish no. 2 led his team from the front. He defeated Stepanek with ease.

In the first set, both the players started pretty steadily and there were no breakthroughs in the first seven games. At the end of the seventh game, the score was 4-3 in the favour of Ferrer.

Ferrer managed to sneak a breakthrough in the eighth game and then, wrapped up the first set by holding his service in the next game.

In the second set, both the players broke each other’s service once in the first eight games and at the end of the eighth game; the scores were levelled at 4-4. The Spanish skipper got another breakthrough in the ninth game and then, like the previous set, he served out the next game to seal the second set as well.

In the third set, Ferrer was off to a brilliant start. He broke Stepanek’s service twice in the first seven games and was ahead by 5-2 at the end of the seventh game. Although Stepanek bounced back by sneaking a breakthrough in the eighth game and holding his service in the ninth game, but, that didn’t prove to be enough. Ferrer served out the 10^th game and finished off the match.