Rafael Nadal back for Spain in Davis Cup

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal celebrates his impending return to world number one spot with a recall Tuesday to Spain's Davis Cup team for the quarter-final tie against Germany. Nadal, who will top the latest world rankings to be released Monday, rejoins the squad for the first time since 2016 for the April 6-8 tie, team captain Sergi Bruguera announced. The 16-time Grand Slam winner is certain to take over from Roger Federer as world number one after the shock defeat of the Swiss ace in the second round of the Miami Masters on Saturday. Bruguera said that the 31-year-old was recovering well from an injury to his right leg that has sidelined him since he pulled out of the Australian Open in January. In February, he pulled out of the Mexican Open just hours before his opening match.

"I have kept in touch with him and he is going from strength to strength and he is feeling good after his convalescence and he is training more," said Bruguera. Nadal last appeared for Spain in the Davis Cup in September 2016. Pablo Carreno, Roberto Bautista, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez line up with Nadal for the tie on clay in Valencia, eastern Spain. The winner of the tie will meet either France or Italy in the semi-final. In the other two quarter-finals, Croatia play Kazakhstan and the United States play Belgium. Nadal, who turns 32 in June, ended 2017 as the oldest year-end world number one in the 45-year history of the ATP rankings. He lost the top ranking to Federer in February.

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