Spain welcome weary Nadal for key Davis Cup match

Spain's Rafael Nadal arrived "a bit tired" in Spain for his country's Davis Cup semi-final against France after his US Open final loss to Novak Djokovic. "I have played three weeks at the highest level possible. So I've arrived here a bit physically tired. We'll see in the coming days how I feel," he told a news conference on Wednesday. The world number two arrived in the southern city of Cordoba on Tuesday, just a day after his loss to Djokovic in New York. Spain, led by Nadal, meets France in the Davis Cup semi-final in Cordoba from Friday. "Anyway, (the team) is not just me. We are a team of four players and perhaps the captain will decide that one of my teammates is better prepared than me." Aside from Nadal, Spain is represented by Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez. Nadal flew from New York in a private jet, accompanied by the head of the Spanish tennis federation and the mayor of Cordoba. "I have to say that nobody needed to convince me to come to defend my country," said Nadal, visibly irritated. "Not the mayor of Cordoba, nor anyone else. My decision to come was taken months ago." France is represented by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Richard Gasquet, Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra. But it will be without its number one player, Gael Monfils, who is injured. France beat Spain 5-0 in the quarter-finals in Clermont-Ferrand last year before losing in the final to Serbia.