PARIS (AFP) – Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray can set up a Davis Cup quarter-final blockbuster if they successfully pilot Serbia and defending champions Great Britain through the first round this weekend.
However, the world s top two players will go into their home clashes against Kazakhstan and Japan respectively with question marks over their fitness and match sharpness.
World number one Djokovic saw his streak of 17 successive finals come to an end in Dubai last week when an eye infection forced a quarter-final retirement.
Djokovic led Serbia to the 2010 Davis Cup title and is scheduled to play on all three days in Belgrade against the Kazakhs, starting Friday when he faces Aleksandr Nedovyesov, the world 200, in the opening singles.
World number 23 Viktor Troicki will then tackle Kazakhstan s top player, Mikhail Kukushkin, the world 79.”I am fit to play and I am glad to be able to say it because I was a bit skeptical the first few days after arriving from Dubai,” said 11-time major winner Djokovic.
“This eye infection occurred to me for the first time in my life. The training went very well and hopefully I will be able to play at my best on Friday.”
Murray, meanwhile, hasn t hit a ball in anger since losing to Djokovic in the Australian Open final almost five weeks ago.
The 28-year-old took February off after his wife Kim gave birth to their first child, Sophia.
Murray led Great Britain to their first Davis Cup title in 79 years last November.
“I never thought we would be able to do it but then when we did it was like why not, why can t we do it again this year?” he said.Murray faces Californian-born Taro Daniel in Friday s opener with Japan s top player, Kei Nishikori, the world number six, taking on Dan Evans.
Should Serbia and Britain emerge victorious, they will clash in the UK from July 15-17 for a place in the semi-finals.
In Melbourne, former world number one and two-time major winner Lleyton Hewitt makes his bow as Australia captain and could even be drafted into action against the United States after Nick Kyrgios was ruled out through injury.
It s a match-up between the tournament s two most successful nations but the US won the last of their 32 titles in 2007. Australia captured their 28th and most recent crown in 2003.
Hewitt, 35, replaced Kyrgios in the squad despite having retired as a player after the Australian Open.
But the veteran did not name himself in Friday s singles or Saturday s doubles, instead preferring to use 77th-ranked Sam Groth.Groth will open the tie on grass at Kooyong against big-serving American John Isner, ranked 11, while Australia s top-ranked Bernard Tomic faces world number 24 Jack Sock.
The winner of the tie will take on either last year s runners-up Belgium or 2005 champions Croatia who meet in Liege.
Switzerland, the champions in 2014, go to Pesaro to face Italy without Roger Federer, who is recovering from knee surgery, and the resting Stan Wawrinka.
Instead their hopes will be spearheaded by 34-year-old Marco Chiudinelli whose ranking is a lowly 146.
The winner of that tie will face either Poland or Argentina who are playing in Gdansk.
The Poles are in the World Group for the first time while Argentina, runners-up three times since 2006, are in the elite section for a 15th consecutive year.
The South Americans will be favourites to progress with two players — Leonardo Mayer and Guido Pella both in the top 50.
Poland s top singles player is Michal Przysiezny who is ranked 318 backed up by Hubert Hurkacy, ranked 602.
Yannick Noah begins his second spell in charge of nine-time champions France in the Caribbean where Guadeloupe hosts the tie against Canada.
Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon will play singles Friday against Frank Dancevic, ranked at 245, and Vasek Pospisil respectively.
Canada s hopes were hit after world number 13 Milos Raonic withdrew with an adductor injury.
For France or Canada, a quarter-final with either Germany or the Czech Republic, the 2012 and 2013 champions, awaits.
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