Nicolas Almagro will lead off Spain’s defense against Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka on clay in Logrono.
Wawrinka hasn’t played a match in six weeks due to the birth of his daughter Alexia, but Swiss captain Severin Luthi is confident in the man who will play No. 1 for the Swiss instead of Roger Federer. “Stan had the same preparation last year when we played the United States away on hard courts and he beat James Blake in the first match," Luthi said.
The Swiss holds a 3-1 career head to head against Almagro, who was called in as a replacement for the injured Juan Carlos Ferrero. Top Spaniards Rafa Nadal and Fernando Verdasco are also skipping the tie due to ailments.