As always, the Davis Cup will produce moments of inspiration and despair, but for the defending champions it will prove to be a damage limitation exercise more than anything else. The USA face an impossible task in Madrid on clay against Spain, led by world No.1 Rafael Nadal.

The Americans, captained by Patrick McEnroe, surprisingly left James Blake out of their squad, citing exhaustion as the reason for doing so. However, that omission will have no bearing on the outcome and even the most ardent American supporter would have to admit that anything other than a Spanish triumph would be a major shock.

The Spanish squad consists of Nadal and David Ferrer, both of whom will carry the burden in the singles ties, while lefties Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez make up the foursome. Having played together at the US Open, it’s likely that Verdasco and Lopez will form the doubles side for the Spanish unless something goes drastically wrong on the first day of action to force Spain into a rethink. Andy Roddick and the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, form the backbone of the US side, and it’s Sam Querrey who benefits from Blake’s absence.

Earlier this year, Roddick reached the last four of the Rome Masters while Querrey managed a quarter-final spot in Monte Carlo. If both players can reproduce such form against the Spanish then it's possible the singles rubbers won’t be complete non-events; but despite that, it would still be against the odds for the Americans to pick up a set in live singles rubbers.

Spain will expect two wins from Nadal and the Americans will hope to count on the Bryan brothers to at least take the tie into Sunday. One minor worry for Spain is the form of Ferrer. After ending the 2007 season in wonderful form, he seems to have hit a wall in the past few months and has failed to show the level of play he was producing this time last year. Ferrer has been beyond the round of 16 just once in his last six events but will expect to rediscover some form and confidence on home soil against the Americans.

The Spanish will hope to reverse the 4-1 defeat they suffered in the US in last year’s quarter-final and few will predict anything other than that very scoreline in favour of the Spanish this time around. Spanish supporters will be seeing their Davis Cup side in action for the first time in two years as they have been on their travels for their past four ties. The US return to Spain for the first time in four years, with that 2004 encounter resulting in Spain’s last Davis Cup triumph and giving us a glimpse of the player Nadal was to become.