BUENOS AIRES: The absence of world No 1 Rafael Nadal has taken the shine off the Davis Cup final and left Argentina as firm favourites to beat Spain and win the trophy for the first time. Argentinas tennis team player David Nalbandian plays a shot during a training session ahead of the Davis Cup World Group final match against Spain in Mar del Plata,November 19, 2008. [Agencies] Unbeaten at home for 10 years, Argentina now have higher-ranked players in their favor as well as the playing surface and a partisan crowd. Nadal pulled out last week after failing to recover from tendonitis in his right knee and blamed his injury on an overloaded tennis calendar. His withdrawal produced mixed feelings in the home camp. I regret that hes not coming, because all the Argentines wanted to see him, but its also right to say that all Argentines want us to be Davis Cup champions, said Argentina captain Alberto Mancini. In that sense, its good news because our chances have got better. Argentina, taking part in their third final and at home for the first time, have chosen to stage the game on an indoor surface at the Islas Malvinas arena in the resort of Mar del Plata. Their usual venue is the larger Parque Roca in Buenos Aires but the clay surface is also preferred by the Spaniards. The choice of venue turned into a political battle with several other cities hoping to stage the prestigious event and politicians jumping on the bandwagon. Despite Nadals absence, it has been almost impossible for the general public to buy tickets at the 11,000 capacity arena with only 300 sold at the venue and another 1,500 over the Internet. The rest have gone to members of the Argentina Tennis Association (AAT) and sponsors. Although Mar del Plata is a major resort, hotels have doubled their prices and many said they were sold out two months ago. David Nalbandian, Argentinas most experienced player, publicly criticised the decision to prefer Mar del Plata over his native Cordoba. Argentinas challenge will be led by Juan Martin del Potro who has enjoyed a meteoric rise this year, winning four ATP titles in a row on his way into the top ten. Ranked ninth, he also won the fifth and decisive rubber in the semifinal against Russia, destroying Igor Andreev in straight sets. Nalbandian is two places below in the rankings. David Ferrer, ranked 12, will lead the Spanish challenge as they attempt to add to their wins in 2000 and 2004. Its disappointing Nadal cannot be with us but we shouldnt talk about him any more from now on, said Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario. Marcel Granollers, ranked 56th in the world, has taken Nadals place. Agencies Authentic Bruins JerseyNov 22, 1917 - It is the centerpiece of a year-long celebration commemorating the Oilers' 25 seasons in the NHL and also marks the 86th anniversary of the league, which was formed in Montreal on Nov. 22, 1917. The league knew the game would draw attentionCustomized Canucks JerseyAll NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. . All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPARoberto Luongo Authentic JerseyAll NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. . All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPADiscount Tiffany PendantsBlondin-Huberdeau stood approximately 30 feet from her son during a festive on-ice celebration. The 17-year-old sniper with the sick set of hands was holding court after it was just announced he had won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy winner as Memorial Cup MVP. Huberdeau, who finished with 3 goals and 6 points in Saint John's four games, including an overtime winner last Monday against Owen Sound, certainly proved why he was rated No. 3 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in April. He's a surefire first-round draft choice on June 24 when the opening round of the NHL Entry Draft will be staged at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MinnLeBron James Jersey BlackThe new sale date is Sept. 7. However, if the transaction is not completed by Nov. 17, which marks one year from the first established sale date, the process will have to start anew, according to Jim DeFrancia of Lowe Enterprises, which is acting as the property's receiver. An appreciation of the renminbi has not been and will not be able to narrow down the US trade deficit with China Despite the fact that the White House has finally recognized that compromises with regard to Chinas exchange rate are more receptive than coercion, exemplified by last months surprise visit by United States Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, a higher renminbi rate is still not the one-off solution for the US predicaments. Even though the Obama administration postponed a report that would label China a currency manipulator, the road of recovery for the US will be long and arduous and is hampered by its over-leveraged consumers. Related readings:  China and the US should work together on trade  US to increase exports to cut trade deficit With the US midterm elections approaching, it was not difficult to understand why lawmakers on Capitol Hill desperately needed a scapegoat - aka China - to divert its discontent masses. And though President Hu Jintaos attendance recently at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington was a positive sign, the US is deeply mired in economic problems. True, the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury have together tightened credit expansion and they have saved the asset prices for the wealthy and retained jobs for Wall Streets elites. But the majority in the US is still suffering from the economic crisis. The most recent unemployment rate in the US stood at a staggering 9.7 percent. Consumer spending is sluggish and the housing markets remain choppy. And deficits on both state and federal levels continue to climb as the burden on Social Security increases. The controversial medical reform has already cost the Obama administration a lot of chips in Capitol Hill. Since columnist Paul Krugmans first shot at the renminbi pegging policy last December, the issue has caught the attentions of politicians such as US Senator Charles Schumer. The US is running multilateral trade deficits with more than 90 countries and the effect of narrowing its overall trade deficit by relying on revaluing a single currency, the renminbi, is questionable. The nature of the Sino-US trade imbalance is largely structural. Between 2005 to June 2008, the renminbi has appreciated approximately 21 percent against the dollar. Yet the US trade deficit with China has grown by $104 billion from 2004-2008. Although politically driven reports in the media have curried US voters in favor of a renminbi revaluation with the caveat that it will create jobs, the truth is that cheap imported goods are driven by demand from US consumers. A stronger renminbi will only divert demands to Mexico, India, Vietnam or whomever can produce cheaper goods. The $7.2 billion deficit in March shows clearly that the Chinese economy is not export driven. The Sino-US trade imbalance worsened further by the US governments reluctance to export high technology to China. The United States has successfully boosted its economy through high-tech industries in recent decades, yet is still unwilling to share with China, one of its largest trading partners.    Previous Page 1 2 Next Page      Previous Page 1 2 Next Page   ' ' '