Australia draws Switzerland in First Round

The Australian Davis Cup Team has drawn Switzerland away in a tough opener to their 2006 campaign.

The First Round Tie will be played on 10-12 February with world No.1 Roger Federer still to commit as to whether he will play in his country’s campaign next year.

New Swiss captain Severin Luthi, who succeeded Marc Rosset, said Federer's teammates are trying to persuade him to play next year.

"For us it’s really important that Roger is available so we are trying everything to get him to stay in the team, but I think everybody would understand also if he wasn't able to play. I think he wants to play, so if there is a possibility to play then he will do," Luthi said.

Federer has won 14 of his last 15 Davis Cup singles matches. His lone singles loss in that span was in the exciting 2003 semi-final against Australia at Melbourne Park when Lleyton Hewitt came back from two sets to love down to claim a memorable 5-7 2-6 7-6(4) 7-5 6-1 victory.

Since then Federer has amassed an impressive nine successive wins against Hewitt.

Australian Davis Cup Team captain John Fitzgerald said, “Switzerland away is certainly one of the tougher draws we could have got, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s standard practice for us to assume that our opponents will have their best players available to play in any Tie we’re involved in, and we will plan and prepare accordingly.”

The two countries last played in Switzerland in the World Group First Round in 2000 (indoors on carpet), when the team of Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Philippoussis, Sandon Stolle and Wayne Arthurs defeated Roger Federer, George Bastl, Michel Kratochvil and Lorenzo Manta 3-2.