January 23, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Davis Cup champions the Czech Republic will not have to worry about facing Roger Federer in the opening round of their defense after he was left out of Switzerland’s team for the Geneva tie. The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who is into the semifinals of the 2013 Australian Open, played twice for his country last year, but has decided to sit it out the Czech clash. Tomas Berdych will lead the Czech challenge in the tie taking place from Feb. 1-3.
Other notable absentees from first-round action are Juan Martin del Potro, who was not named in Argentina’s team to play Germany in Buenos Aires, and Australian Open semi-finalist David Ferrer, who is not in Spain’s squad to play in Canada.
"The decision was not easy, but I have important goals on the circuit," Del Potro said.
In the absence of Ferrer and Rafa Nadal, who has yet to return to competitive action after a long-term knee injury, Nicolas Almagro will shoulder the main singles responsibility for the top-seeded Spaniards. Feliciano Lopez returns to the team as the number two singles player, with Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, who are through to the Australian Open last four, playing the doubles. World number one Novak Djokovic was named in Serbia’s squad to face Belgium in Charleroi, although his participation may depend on how much his bid for a third consecutive Australian Open title takes out of him.
