Davis Cup Betting / Barry Millns / 08 February 2008 /

Tennis commentator Barry Millns on why strength in depth like the one Spain possess could make them a good bet for the Davis Cup

Like all Davis Cup champions USA have had only a couple of months to bask in the glory of a final triumph before having to begin their defence of the title. For Patrick McEnroe's men a first round tie away on clay against Austria may prove trickier than some, but the Americans must still be viewed among the favourites for this year's competition.

This time last year winning a clay court contest on the road was something Andy Roddick, James Blake, Bob and Mike Bryan had never done together in the 16-nation World Group. But then in Ostrava they did exactly that against the Czech Republic, a result which proved the catalyst for their 2007 success.

So while the same USA quartet will be wary of underestimating the likes of Stefan Koubek, Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle in Vienna, they should begin this weekend's encounter full of belief that they will beat their hosts for the third time in as many meetings and they are currently trading at [1.44] to do so. The Davis Cup outright winner market lacks liquidity on Betfair at the moment but if I could get at least 5 on USA I would be tempted even with potentially tougher challenges to come.

Assuming USA make it through to the quarterfinals they are likely to face, at home, a French side brimming with talent. Richard Gasquet and Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga spearhead this week's challenge away to Romania, along with the formidable doubles pairing of Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra, so it is no surprise they are currently trading at [1.07] to win in Sibiu.

Guy Forget, who has won the Cup both as a player and captain, has no less than 15 Frenchman in the world's Top 100 singles players to choose from, which is more than any other nation, so I would consider backing them at around the [7.0] mark to become champions for the 10th time.

The other stand-out nation in the bottom half of the draw is Spain. Although their top two players Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer have opted out of a first round trip to Peru, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez and Nicolas Almagro should prove far too strong in Lima for their hosts, whose leading player is the 120th ranked Luis Horna.

Trading at [1.11] to beat Peru, a quarterfinal at home to South Korea or more likely away to Germany beckons for the Spaniards. Bearing in mind that will come just before the start of the European clay court season it is by no means certain that Nadal and Ferrer will be involved then either, but for another country with such strength in depth, there seems every possibility at this juncture that Spain could tilt (either away to France or at home to USA) for a place in the final.

To win the title again, though, Spain, like the Americans or the French, will most likely have to deal with Argentina, Serbia or Russia in November's finale. Right now, following Andy Murray's withdrawal, it is virtually impossible to find anyone who will back against Argentina beating Great Britain in Buenos Aries this weekend. Either Sweden at home or Israel away should also be a winnable quarterfinal for David Nalbandian and company, so it is more a question of who will win the first round tie about to take place in Moscow between last year's runners-up Russia and World Group debutants Serbia.

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