MALAGA, Spain, 19 September 2003 — French Open champion and world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero leads Spain against an injury-weakened Argentina in the Davis Cup semifinals here.

Guillermo Coria and David Nalbandian, respectively ranked five and ten in the world, were forced out and replaced by Mariano Zabaleta and Lucas Arnold. Arnold is a force in doubles with 10 wins in 12 Davis Cup outings, nine of them on they clay which is both countries’ preferred surface. He was on the team which whitewashed holders Russia in the quarterfinals.

But the loss of their best two players threatens to hole the Argentine challenge below the waterline against a Spanish team which will enjoy home support as they chase their second Davis Cup title after 2000, won in Barcelona at the expense of Australia. Former Wimbledon finalist Nalbandian is suffering from an abdominal strain and a strained left wrist while Coria has torn adductors.

Argentine skipper Gustavo Luza said he was happy with the draw. “I am happy with the draw - although Gaudio doesn’t much like to play first up. Gaudio against Ferrero could be a classic. The statistics are in Gaston’s favor as Ferrer is known not to like playing against him.”

Ferrero opens on the Malaga clay courts today against Gaston Gaudio who has a 5-4 winning record over Ferrero while Carlos Moya takes on Zabaleta, who has been enjoying the best year of his career. Alex Corretja and Albert Costa team up for tomorrow’s doubles against Arnold and Agustin Calleri.

Federer Set for Busy

Weekend in Melbourne

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer is gearing up for three days of action in Switzerland’s Davis Cup semifinal against Australia in Melbourne with two tough singles matches either side of a doubles encounter.

The world No. 3 starts his busy schedule in the second singles rubber today against Mark Philippoussis in a rematch of their Wimbledon final. In yesterday’s draw, Australia’s former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt learned that he would open the tie against world No. 127 Michel Kratochvil in the afternoon, before Federer and Philippoussis face off in the early evening.

Federer said he was not concerned with the workload, which concludes with a reverse singles rubber against Hewitt on Sunday, before Philippoussis takes on Kratochvil.

Tomorrow, Wayne Arthurs will partner Todd Woodbridge in the doubles rubber against Federer and Swiss captain Marc Rosset, who also teamed up in the April quarterfinal victory over France. “For me it doesn’t matter really,” Federer told a news conference. “I’m at a point where I really don’t care. I’m used to that.”

Federer said he was hoping for loud support from Swiss fans in the 15,000-seat Rod Laver Arena center court at Melbourne Park today as he highlighted a key factor in his opening match.

Roddick Leads US Relegation

Battle in Slovakia

Newly-crowned US Open champion Andy Roddick, the world No. 2, opens the United States’ Davis Cup world group playoff with a first rubber against Slovakia’s world No. 60 Dominik Hrbaty in Bratsilava today.

The last of the 25-year-old Hrbaty’s three titles was at Auckland in 2001. Mardy Fish, 23rd in the world, takes on Karol Kucera, ranked 31, in the second rubber. Fish, 22, steps in for James Blake. The big-serving right-hander has made three finals and four quarterfinals this year. Twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the French Open champions and joint world No. 1 in doubles, play Karol Beck and Michal Mertinak in tomorrow’s doubles.

Verkerk Leads Dutch

Onslaught of India

In Zwolle, Netherlands, French Open finalist Martin Verkerk will start for the Netherlands against unfancied Indian Rohan Bopanna in their Davis Cup World Group relegation battle today. Verkerk caused a sensation in June when he made the Roland Garros final, defeating former winner Carlos Moya on the way, but he was comprehensively beaten in the championship match by Fererro of Spain.

Yesterday’s draw also paired the experienced Sjeng Schalken, ranked 13 in the world, against 19-year-old Prakash Amritraj, the son of India’s former tennis ace Vijay Amritraj, in the second singles. Tomorrow’s doubles features Verkerk and John Van Lottum against Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi.