In a previous post on the "Rafael Nadal" thread MM was commenting that it would seem strange having the Davis Cup at Plaza de Toros ...Finally I just read an aricle in El Pais ( Tuesday's edition ) with pictures of the set up .
They have constructed tennis courts outside the bullring also .
They're expecting both Andy Roddick and Rafa Nadal to be there !
19-21st September are the dates .
Interestingly , the main court will be in the bullring itself and will allow 21,000 spectators making it the 2nd biggest capacity tennis court in the world ( New York having the largest at 22,000 ) .

Steve, as an expert of the layout of Ventas, would you say you would get an adequate view from the back for a tennis match.

New York (Flushing meadows I think) always looks so high that I can't imagine you could see the ball from the top.

My other question is that I though the Davis cup was only about 5 matches over 2 or three days. I would have thought one court would have done, unless they need a practice one.

The seating in Ventas is complicated to say the least , as I'm sure many board members have discovered when booking bullfight tickets .
I just booked tickets for REM at the bullring and had to refer to some of my bullfight photos to check where the seats were .
So they have "Tendido Bajo "= very good seats and Tendido Alto which are good seats but higher up . Then you have Grados which are very cheap ancd VERY high up .
For a bullfight , I wouldn't book anything other than Tendido Bajo , but I,ve been in high seats at centre court in Wimbledon and had a great view and fantastic atmosphere .... Soooo , I would say that if you get tickets for Tendido Alto .. you'll be high up but it would sort of be equivalent to "Dress Circle " in a theatre . Better to try for front rows of that section though .
Whatever area of the bullring you're in you'll get a decent view .. But for the bullfights , most people want to take photos and so you should go for the lower section ( Tendido Bajo )

As for the Tennis schedule .. I have no idea , but it did strike me as a bit strange that the court is infront of the main entrance because there are various elevated areas around the bullring where you'd be able to watch for free .

Steve

OK I've checked up on the format of Davis cup, from someone in the know.

Basically there are five matches only, two singles on day 1, one doubles match only on day 2, and another two singles on the last day.

Of course, as it is a best of 5 match event, it does mean in theory it could be decided on day 2.

Thanks for the seating info Steve Robinson.

Rafa Nadal was phenomenal .. !! Incredible tennis today at the Plaza de Toros .... USA is gonna have a hard fight on it's hands ! Steve ..A pure pleasure to watch ( TVE 1 ) for those in Spain

GO ESPANA !!!!!!!!!!!!! Que increible .. Ferrer was oustanding against Roddick !! I say this out of no national pride ( since i'm English ) But it was great tennis !!

I read the spanish tennis players didn't want to play in Madrid because it doesn't suit their strengths !

Whose side is MM on for this one ?

I'm ashamed to say that I haven't watched/studied a single minute of this tournament except for the distant views (no audio) I have of it while I'm at the gym so I really can't say.

I imagine what they meant by the statement that playing in Madrid (probably meant to say, playing in Las Ventas to be exact) doesn't suit their strengths because, maybe, most of the Spanish players aren't used to playing on clay or clay dust or clay mixed with sand. I don't know.

I'm actually surprised they didn't play the tournament in the courts in Casa de Campo as they so often do - or even in an indoor arena. Not sure how they chose Las Ventas. Maybe it was cheaper.

Saludos, MadridMan

i read somewhere that the Spanish would play it in a venue that the Americans would not like i.e. the heat and altitude and as for the Americans not being suited its all about home advantage,play them where the odds are in your favour i say dont give the opposition a sniff at the end of the day only the winners will be remembererd and when losers complain its will be sour grapes
Good on the Spanish tennis association good choice good venue for the Spanish

Well , the doubles match is happening now and looks like Spain will win the first set ... beginning to look like a whitewash ... Rafa Nadalis watching and yesterday the crown prince ( Felipe ) was there with many other celebrities . Seems Madrid are hosting a very successful Davis Cup .