On-form Juan Carlos Ferrero will head up the Spanish team to play the first round of this year's Davis Cup against Switzerland in Logroño between March 5th and 7th.

Davis Cup team captain, Albert Costa, announced his team today, saying that all the players included were "great professionals, top level players who command great respect and who are amongst the 20 best players in the world".

Joining ex-world number one, Ferrero, will be Ferrer and Robredo, both of whom have been ranked as high as number five in the world in the past, and Granollers, the currently ranked 20th in the world in doubles.

Costa also made mention of Feliciano López, one of the Davis Cup's mainstays in the doubles competition, whose natural partner is world number ten, Fernando Verdasco, but added that "on this occasion I believe that Robredo and Granollers, who have now won several tournaments and are playing some great tennis, deserve the chance to play a Davis Cup tie."

On the topic of the Swiss team, who will be playing without their trump card, world number one Roger Federer, who chose not to take part in this first round, Costa warned the public not to underestimate them, saying that they were "top class players" especially Stanislas Wawrinka, who has "the potential to beat anyone on clay and will be the one to beat".

Costa also said that Spain had won the Davis Cup for the past two years and that the team was beginning a new year "with high hopes and great motivation" adding that the public played a huge part in their dream.  The team captain confirmed that the clay courts that have been built in Logroño's 'La Ribera' bull ring looked "perfect" and that it was now just a case of seeing how the ball bounced during practice.

The Davis Cup team will arrive in Logroño on February 28th, ready to start training on March 1st.