New Delhi: Top-ranked players have been included in their country's Davis Cup squads , with the tournament set to resume after the US Open is over.
Spain captain Albert Costa has included Rafael Nadal in the team for their upcoming semi-final against France.
Costa has selected the same line-up that won the 2009 title, with fifth-ranked David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez joining Nadal.
World No. 2 Nadal missed July's quarter-final victory against the United States to rest ahead of the US Open, where he made headlines on Sunday after sliding off his chair during a news conference while fighting leg cramps.
As hosts, Spain, bidding for a third title in four years, have chosen to play the tie on their favoured red dust, and with clay king Nadal on board, Costa's team will be firm favourites to advance to December's final, where they would meet champions Serbia or Argentina.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gilles Simon will lead France's bid to beat Spain. Gael Monfils, seventh in the ATP standings, and Richard Gasquet (13th) were the other two players captain Guy Forget has picked for the September 16-18 contest in Cordoba, Spain.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer has been included in Switzerland's Davis Cup team to play Australia in a World Group play-off.
The Swiss Tennis Federation says Federer and 14th-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka will be joined by Stephane Bohli, Marco Chiudinelli and Alexander Sadecky for the tie in Sydney.
Australia have chosen to play on grass courts at Royal Sydney Golf Club.
Australia's team will be led by Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 Wimbledon champion, and 18-year-old Bernard Tomic.
The winner will advance to the top-tier World Group next year.
Switzerland have never won the Davis Cup.
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