Teenage rookie Rafael Nadal surprised Andy Roddick today to give Spain a 2-0 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup final.
The 18-year-old, playing his first year of Davis Cup, whipped a tennis crowd of 27,200 to a frenzy as he out-punched the world number two 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-2.
The left-hander absorbed everything a serve-volleying Roddick threw at him, pummelling returns and blasting groundstrokes all round Seville's Olympic Stadium court to clinch a fantastic victory in three hours 38 minutes.
Carlos Moya had earlier fired Spain into a 1-0 lead which means the Bryan twins Mike and Bob must now beat Nadal and Tommy Robredo on Saturday to prevent Spain winning their second Davis Cup.
Former world number one Moya bamboozled Mardy Fish 6-4 6-2 6-3 for the first point.
"I turned up for the most important date of my life in front of so many people so at the start I was a little nervous," Moya smiled.
"But I played safely, within myself, not taking too many risks. I knew he is a player who, if things are going well for him, can be very strong."
Olympic silver medallist Fish had won two of his three previous matches against Moya but those victories came on hard courts.
On Seville's slow, red, power-blunting clay and against a backdrop of red and yellow flags and banners, Moya tied his opponent up in knots.
Punching winners into the corners off both sides, Moya clinched the opening set on his first set point after 40 minutes play.
The 1998 French Open champion blasted through Fish's defences in the second set and the third proved little more than a formality.
