Nadal swept Andy Roddick in straight sets on clay Sunday, sending Spain past the reigning champion United States 4-1 and into its sixth final and third in eight years.
Argentina defeated Russia 3-2 in Buenos Aires in the other semifinal. It will host the Nov. 21-23 final at Orfeo arena in Cordoba, looking to offset the clay-court edge of Nadal and his teammates.
"It's not just the surface but the team that matters,'' Nadal said.
Argentina knows a faster surface may be the only way to beat Nadal, a four-time French Open champion who has lost only twice in his last 117 clay matches.
"They'll choose whatever works best for them. If they pick an indoor (stadium) we'll go looking to be as competitive as possible,'' Spain captain Emilio Sanchez Vicario said. "If they put us on grass we have the Wimbledon champion.''
Argentina, whose team features David Nalbandian and Juan Martin del Potro, reached its third final by eliminating a Russian team confronted by a boisterous and intimidating crowd.
"The Argentine public is a factor if the games are close,'' Sanchez Vicario said. "But if there is any evident superiority in a match then the public will have little influence. It always depends on what happens on the court.''
And Nadal may be worn out after the longest season of his career. Nadal and most likely David Ferrer will have little time to recover from jet lag, having to travel directly to Argentina from the Masters Cup at Shanghai, China, which runs from Nov. 11-16.
Roddick faulted the Davis Cup organizers.
"They know that we love this competition, so they take advantage of it and pretty much put us through the ringer with the schedule not really caring if we get much rest or not,'' Roddick said. "But if anybody can handle it, it's probably (Nadal).''
Roddick knows just how strong Nadal can be on the clay after losing 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 on Sunday - the first time the U.S. player has been blanked in a set over 22 Davis Cup series.
"With Rafa having the year he's had you probably have to like Spain's chances at this point, but Argentina has been a strong team over the years,'' said Roddick, who helped lead the U.S. to the title last year.
Sanchez Vicario knows the task will not be easy.
"In the end, the best players are there and playing away will be tough,'' he said. "But with this team, we can do it.''
Nadal leads Spain against US in Davis Cup
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