Paris, Sept 18: French Open champion and world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer lead Spain and Switzerland into the Davis Cup semi-finals this weekend. Ferrero's Spain are favourites to beat injury-weakened Argentina in Malaga, who are expected to lose Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian, currently ranked fifth and ninth in the world.
Both fell victim to the wear and tear of the US hard court circuit and played their last matches at the US Open suffering from a variety of injuries.
They are expected to be replaced by Mariano Zabaleta and Lucas Arnold.
The Argentine Tennis Association have not formally notified the ITF because, under Davis Cup rules, a nation can make two changes to its squad up to one hour before the draw. If the replacements were officially named, and one or both subsequently became injured they could not then be replaced.
Federer's Switzerland face a more competitive match with Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and Mark Philippoussis in Melbourne.
Philippoussis gets a re-match with federer who outclassed him in the Wimbledon final while Hewitt has declared himself completely recovered from a hip complaint that hampered him at the US Open.
Michel Kratochvil should fill the other singles slot for Switzerland whose captain Marc Rosset is annoyed Australian captain John Fitzgerald has refused to close the roof at the Rod Laver arena at Melbourne Park. Bureau Report