Malaga, Sept 19: Spain are favourites to beat injury-hit Argentina in Davis Cup semi final. A Spanish side brimming with confidence and led by world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero will start as overwhelming favourites when they face injury-hit Argentina in their Davis Cup semi-final this weekend. Ferrero, who won the French Open title this year and took over the number one ranking with his run to the final in the U.S. Open, will spearhead the Spanish challenge on the red clay of Malaga in Friday's opening singles against Gaston Gaudio. Spain will then call on Carlos Moya, a former world number one currently ranked sixth, for the second singles against Mariano Zabaleta. Alex Corretja and Albert Costa team up against Lucas Arnold and Agustin Calleri for Saturday's doubles, with the reverse singles set for Sunday. By that time, it will be a surprise if Spain are not well in command and perhaps heading for a third straight whitewash, after their 5-0 victories over Belgium and Croatia in this year's previous rounds.
Argentina hopes of upsetting the 2000 winners have been severely hit by injuries to Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian, the country's top ranked singles players at fifth and ninth respectively.


Coria has claimed four claycourt titles this year while Nalbandian would have played the U.S. Open final against Ferrero if he had converted a match point in his semi-final against eventual champion Andy Roddick.

Zabaleta, world number 24, and Gaudio, ranked 32nd, are both excellent claycourt players but on home territory, Ferrero and Moya will be confident of success.

"It will be a difficult game but we know how to approach this sort of tie," Ferrero said after Thursday's draw. "We'll be trying to bring another triumph for Spain."


Ferrero made his Davis Cup debut in Malaga three years ago, as Spain beat Russia on their way to the title. Corretja and Costa were also part of the Cup winning side, with Moya the man to miss out.


The former French Open champion is desperate to make up for that disappointment by helping Spain to a final against either Australia or Switzerland but he was taking a cautious approach on Thursday.


"Zabaleta is a great fighter," he said, looking ahead to Friday's second singles. "He's improved a lot over the last year and this is going to be very tough."


Argentina, bidding for a first Davis Cup win and aiming to reach the final for only the second time, have also enjoyed a comfortable route to the semi-finals with 5-0 wins over Germany and 2002 champions Russia.


Despite the enforced absences of Coria and Nalbandian, the visitors believe they are more than capable of causing an upset.


"If we take our chances we can hit hard on Friday morning," coach Gustavo Luza said. "Spain are the favourites and that can work for you or against you. If we get the chance we're going to make things difficult for them."


The two sides have met just once before in Davis Cup, back in 1926 when Spain won 3-1 in Barcelona. In this weekend's other semi-final, Australia are hosting Switzerland in Melbourne.


Bureau Report