With the Davis Cup quarter-finals set to begin at the weekend, it is interesting to look at the ever-changing face of the competition and the international men's game.

Over the last three decades, the annual world cup of men's tennis has transformed from a competition dominated by the United States, Australia, France and Great Britain into a truly global event. With the growth of tennis throughout the world, the last few years have seen new powerhouses push their claim for world supremacy, including Russia and Croatia.

Although most of the eight teams remaining in the competition this year are so called 'traditional' tennis-playing nations, you only have to look at the ATP rankings to see the variety of countries represented in today's game, particularly in Eastern Europe and in Asia, a continent that contains almost two-thirds of the world's population.

Through Shanghai's hosting of the Masters Cup, tennis has seen unprecedented growth in Asia and although this hasn't yet been translated into results on court, it is ensuring that young kids consider tennis as one of the major choices when they pick which sport to pursue.

Another great reason for the Asian tennis boom is Roger Federer. The world number one is popular wherever he goes, but his generous nature and politeness has earned the respect of many supporters throughout the diverse continent. Federer also seems to enjoy playing in Asia, winning tournaments in Dubai, Doha, Bangkok and Tokyo as well as beating Rafael Nadal in an exhibition match in Seoul last year. He has also visited India as an ambassador for UNICEF and did his long list of promotional work spreading the gospel of tennis through Asia.

But it is not only Federer who has increased the popularity of tennis in the region; the success of players such as Paradorn Srichaphan and the economic emergence of countries such as China and India have seen more people gaining access to the Internet and satellite TV, enabling them to follow the sport more closely than ever before. If the ever-improving results of the Chinese women are an indication, we might just see a country from Asia taking home the Davis Cup in the near future.