16 teams will play next weekend in the first round of the Davis Cup world group.
Here are the team nominations for the upcoming first round world group Davis cup ties, which takes place on the 3rd-5th of February:
- Argentina (1) v Italy – Buenos Aires, Clay – Top seeds and defending champions Argentina start the defence of their title at home to a clay court based Italian team. Daniel Orsanic has chosen Diego Schwartzman, Horacio Zeballos, Guido Pella and Leonardo Mayer to play the Italians. Italy have chosen a team boasting Paolo Lorenzi, Fabio Fognini, Andreas Seppi and Simone Bolelli to travel to Buenos Aires. The two sides have met three times, with Argentina leading 2-1. The last meeting was last year, where Argentina won 3-2.
- Germany v Belgium (7) – Frankfurt, Indoor Hard – Germany who fought off Poland in the world group play offs will host seventh seeds and 2015 runners up Belgium. Germany have chosen Alexander Zverev, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Mischa Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff. Whilst Belgium have a strong team with David Goffin, Steve Darcis, Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore. Germany have won all eight of their previous meetings.
- Australia v Czech Republic (4) – Melbourne, Hard – Australia will host former champions Czech Republic at the famous Kooyong tennis club. Australia have gone with a strong lineup lead by the erratic Nick Kyrgios he will play alongside Jordan Thompson, Sam Groth and John Peers. Czech Republic have a weakened team as they will miss the likes of Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol. Their team is Jiri Vesely, Radek Stepanek, Jan Satral and Zdenek Kolar. Australia lead the head to head 7-1.
- USA v Switzerland (5) – Birmingham, Alabama, Indoor Hard – A strong USA team will play a weak Switzerland team. USA will of course be without the Bryan brothers who have just retired from Davis Cup. The Americans will play John Isner, Jack Sock, Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson. The 2014 champions will be without Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, who lead their triumph three years ago. Instead the Swiss will play with Marco Chiudinelli, Henri Laaksonen, Adrien Bossel and Antoine Bellier. The Americans lead the head to head. 2-1.
- Japan v France (6) – Tokyo , Indoor Hard – Japan will face last year’s semifinalists France in Tokyo at the Ariake Colosseum. Japan will be without Kei Nishikori for the tie against the French. As a result they will have Yoshihito Nishioka, Yuichi Sugita, Taro Daniel and Yasutaka Nishioka. While favourites France have gone for Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon, Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. France lead the head to head 3-0.
- Canada v Great Britain (3) – Ottawa, Indoor Hard – The Canadians will have serving machine Milos Raonic at their disposal when they face 2015 champions Great Britain. Vasek Pospisil, Denis Shapovalov and Daniel Nestor will join Raonic in Ottawa. Great Britain will miss world number one Andy Murray for the tie but have a strong line-up in Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray. Great Britain lead the head to head 1-0.
- Serbia (8) v Russia – Nis, Indoor Hard – Former champions Serbia will hope to advance to the quarterfinals when they play Russia in Nis. World number two Novak Djokovic will lead the line, he will partner up with Viktor Troicki, Dusan Lajovic and Serbia’s new captain Nenad Zimonjic. Russia will hope to pull of the upset when they have Andrey Kuznetsov, Karen Khachanov, Daniil Medvedev and Konstatin Kravchuk at their disposal. Russia lead the head to head 1-0.
- Croatia (2) v Spain – Osijek, Indoor Hard – Second seeds and defending runners up Croatia will have their hands full when they face a returning Spain. Croatia will have four doubles specialists at their disposal in Osijek, when Franko Skugor, Nikola Mektic, Ante Pavic and Marin Draganja take to court. While Spain will have 14 time Rafael Nadal leading the line. He will be joined by Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreño Busta and Marc Lopez in Croatia. Spain lead 1-0 in the head to head.
