Davis Cup Semifinals, Qualifying Round This Weekend

Friday kicks off play for the Davis Cup World Group semifinals, with Argentina at the Slovak Republic, and Russia at Croatia.

Russia will have a tough time without Marat Safin, out with a knee injury, while Argentina will be without fast-court specialist Guillermo Canas who is serving a two-year doping ban.

Vying for positions in the 2006 World Group through the qualifying round will be Ecuador at Austria, Belarus at Canada, Pakistan at Chile, Germany at the Czech Republic, Spain at Italy, Sweden at India, Great Britain at Switzerland, and the U.S. at Belgium.