Defending champion, USA, will face an incredible challenge as the team will try to overcome Spain on clay in Madrid. The USA has a 5-3 head-to-head record lead over Spain but only one of those 5 wins were on clay unlike Spain's 3 victories. The last time both nations met was last year when the Americans avenged their loss to the Spaniards in the final in 2004, and routed their opponents out of the quarterfinals on hardcourts in North Carolina.
Spain features a close to invincible squad on clay, led by the world number one, Rafael Nadal. Accompanying the four-time French Open champion are world number 5, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco (ranked 15) and Feliciano Lopez (ranked 37).
The USA team features world number 8, Andy Roddick, who will have to do without the support of his fellow top 10 compatriot, James Blake, who wasn't included in the squad due to fatigue. Reporting for duty instead of Blake is up-and-comer Sam Querrey, currently ranked 39 in the world. The 20-year-old American won his first ATP title in Delray Beach earlier this year and had some impressive results on clay highlighted by a quarterfinal showing at Monte Carlo. He also had a good run at the US Open where he reached the fourth round, falling to Nadal in 4 sets.
Blake's absence wasn't the only blow the USA squad received as Bob Bryan, who together with his twin brother Mike are the world's number one doubles team, aggravated an injury he sustained during the US Open final, which means his brother will compete for the first time without him since 2002. Mardy Fish will replace Bob in the squad, which is definitely considered the underdog against the hefty Spaniards who will be playing at home on clay, a surface considered almost foreign to the Americans.
On the other side of the Atlantic, and across the Equator, a much tighter semifinal will be taking place between Argentina and Russia in Buenos Aires, also on clay. The Argentines will be eyeing a vengeful tie against the Russians, who beat Argentina in the final in 2006. World number 7, David Nalbandian, headlines the Argentine squad and will be looking to consolidate his perfect record in Davis Cup matches on home soil. Nalbandian has had a poor year so far but his ability to grab victories at home for his country is undeniable. Assisting Nalbandian will be world number 13, Juan Martin Del Potro, who has had an unbelievable run during the North American hardcourt swing, winning 23 straight matches. Completing the Argentine team are top 60 players, Agustin Calleri and Guillermo Canas.
A Safin-less Russian squad features world number 6, Nikolay Davydenko, number 19, Igor Andreev, number 26, Dmitry Tursunov and number 72, Igor Kunitsyn. The Russians, who came in runner-ups last year to the USA, are not only without their Davis Cup hero, Marat Safin, but are also missing Mikhail Youzhny due to injury. Davydenko, who had a bad year so far, should be fresh and focused for the tie now that his name has been cleared from a match-fixing scandal. This tie should prove to be far more intriguing than the one in Spain.
The Davis Cup semifinals will take place between September 19 and September 21
