LONDON -- The U.S. named the same team that won the Davis Cup last month for this year's opening World Group match against Austria.
The Americans, who beat Russia in December to win their record 32nd Davis Cup title, will use Andy Roddick, James Blake and Bob and Mike Bryan when they face Austria on indoor clay in Vienna on Feb. 8-10.
Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will also play in the first round, leading Serbia against 2007 runner-up Russia on indoor hardcourts in Moscow, the International Tennis Federation announced Tuesday.
But Rafael Nadal, who missed both World Group matches last year because of injury, was left off Spain's team that will play at Peru on outdoor clay.
Also in the first round, it's: Czech Republic vs. Belgium; Argentina vs. Britain; Israel vs. Sweden; Germany vs. South Korea; and Romania vs. France.
The United States won the Davis Cup last year for the first time since 1995. But after winning the title at home, they head to Austria to face Stefan Koubek, Werner Eschauer, Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle.
"If our team works really well and we take every chance we get, maybe we can cause an upset," Koubek said.
Djokovic, who beat top-ranked Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals before defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final, will be joined by Janko Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic.
Russia will have Marat Safin back in the team, along with Nikolay Davydenko, Mikhail Youzhny and Dmitry Tursunov.
Safin, a two-time Grand Slam champion, had been a candidate to claim one of Russia's four spots in last year's final but he was left off the team and replaced by Igor Andreev.
Tsonga will be making his Davis Cup debut, teaming with Richard Gasquet, Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement on indoor hardcourts at Romania. The hosts will be represented by Andrei Pavel, Victor Hanescu, Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau.
Without Nadal, who lost to Tsonga in the Australian Open semifinals, Spain will be led by David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro.
Peru's team nominations have not yet been announced.
Germany will be playing without the injured Tommy Haas and Nicolas Kiefer, and doubles specialists Alexander Waske and Michael Kohlmann. Instead, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Florian Mayer, Philipp Petzschner and Michael Berrer will take on visiting South Korea on indoor clay.
The Koreans will use Lee Hyung-taik, Jun Woong-sun, An Jae-sung and Kim Hyun-joon.
The Czechs will host Belgium on indoor carpet, using Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Lukas Dlouhy and Pavel Vizner against Belgium's Olivier Rochus, Steve Darcis, Kristof Vliegen and Ruben Bemelmans.
David Nalbandian will lead Argentina against Britain on outdoor clay in Buenos Aires. Juan Monaco, Agustin Calleri and Jose Acasuso will also play for the hosts, while Andy Murray, Jamie Murray, Jamie Baker and Alex Bogdanovic will represent Britain.
Thomas Johansson, Jonas Bjorkman, Simon Aspelin and Filip Prpic will play for Sweden on outdoor hardcourts at Israel against Dudi Sela, Harel Levy, Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich.
