Rafa Nadal could not conjure the fairytale ending his career deserved as the Spanish 22-times Grand Slam champion bowed out with defeat in the Davis Cup on an emotionally charged and tearful night in Malaga on Tuesday. The 38-year-old’s legs and mind were as willing as ever but the magic was missing as he lost 6-4 6-4 to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in what proved to be his final competitive match, Reuters reported. Spain’s new tennis king Carlos Alcaraz levelled the quarter-final tie by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6(0) 6-3 and had Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers then beaten Wesley Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp, Nadal would have got another chance in a semi-final on Friday against Germany or Canada. But it was not to be as Koolhof, also playing the last event of his career, played out of his skin to rip up the script and inspire the Dutch to a 7-6(4) 7-6(3) victory. Nadal willed the Spanish duo on from the sidelines, barely sitting down, but looked crestfallen as the reality that it was all over began to sink in. Nadal had won 29 of his previous 30 singles in the team event, his only previous loss in his […]