Nadal can't blame Davis Cup for busy calendar: ITF

Rafael Nadal shouldnt blame the Davis Cup for the crowded tennis schedule after playing the event infrequently in recent years, the head of the International Tennis Federation said Saturday.Nadal was again critical of the busy schedule Friday after winning the first match in Spains 2-0 Davis Cup semifinal lead over France. It came four days after he lost the U.S. Open final in New York to Novak Djokovic. Asked if players could strike over the convoluted calendar, Nadal did not rule out strong action.But ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said Nadals argument was inconsistent.Nadal has all the right to feel tired after playing 70 matches this year, but thats not the fault of the Davis Cup, which he has played only three times in the past two years, Ricci Bitti said at Cordobas bullring.Nadal helped Spain lift the Davis Cup trophy in 2009.Nadal says we dont listen to the players but the date of the Davis Cup was changed against the wishes of the ITF and its president, Ricci Bitti said. We still feel the dates, especially those in September, are not right.Nadal was among a group of top players — including Roger Federer — which lobbied the ITF to move Davis Cup dates to the week after Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2009.