Paris : Injuries and unavailability have played havoc with the Davis Cup quarterfinals starting on Friday with two-time defending champions the Czech Republic up against it away to Japan.
The Czechs will be without star player and world number five Tomas Berdych, who opted out of playing to take a well-earned rest from the competition. That leaves 40th-ranked Lukas Rosol as their lead singles player with backup from veteran campaigner Radek Stepanek.
However, there are no injury problems for Switzerland, who are favourites to lift the Cup for the first time as they are able to count on the talents of Federer and Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka at home to Kazakhstan
The Swiss have only ever reached the Davis Cup final once in 1992 when they lost to the United States 3-1 in Fort Worth and Federer would love to add the team title to his honours list, which lacks only that and Olympic singles gold.
The remaining quarter-final sees Italy hosting a British team looking to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1936 when Fred Perry was their inspiration. Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is the mainstay this time and he will likely have to win both his singles on the claycourts of Naples against Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi if Leon Smith’s team is to have any chance of reaching the last four.
“It will be a good challenge playing on the clay in Italy. They have some very good clay court players with a passionate crowd behind them,” Murray said
