Spain at a disadvantage for Davis Cup defence

After their runaway success last year, Spain face two major hurdles in their defence of the Davis Cup starting this week -- no home crowd and no clay courts.

Spain were outstanding in 2000 as they overpowered Italy, Russia, the United States and Australia in a run that saw them lose just two of 19 rubbers.

That winning spree took in the familiar clay courts of Murcia, Malaga, Santander and finally Barcelona, where they dispatched defending champions Australia 3-1 in a thrilling match to take the title for the first time in their history.

In all four of those ties, but in particular against the U.S. and Australia, Spain made the most of home advantage. They were roared on to victory by huge crowds in an atmosphere more typical of a big soccer match than a tennis event.

This season Spain will get nowhere near a clay court in the competition and the crowds will be a lot more hostile after the draw left them facing the prospect of away ties all the way.

They start with a first-round clash with the Netherlands in Eindhoven from Friday -- a tricky test for the three-man coaching team that has replaced the successful G-4 committee who masterminded last year's win.

If they make it past that potential banana skin, future ties could see them making trips to Germany, the U.S. and perhaps even to Australia for a rematch of last year's final.

"Spain better be prepared for a game played on what the cows eat," Australian coach John Newcombe warned after his side's defeat in Barcelona.

Spain have traditionally been so uncomfortable away from clay -- in the last five years they have won just one match on their travels -- that even avoiding defeat in the first round against the Dutch will be regarded as some achievement.

EVERY GAME A TEST

"Our objective this year is to go tie by tie, starting with Holland," said Juan Avendano, who along with Josep Perlas, opted to stay on while their former coaching colleagues Javier Duarte and Jordi Vilaro decided to quit.

"We have to win our ties away from home and indoors this year. We are the Davis Cup champions -- it's something they can't take away from us -- but every game we play this year will be a test."

The new face in the Spanish coaching set-up is Jordi Arrese, the silver medallist at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and until recently an under-16s coach in Catalunya.

He too appeared to be talking down Spain's chances when asked about the task awaiting them away from home this year.

"We have the players to win but whether you like it or not the circumstances have to be in your favour," he said shortly after taking the job. "Last year we were always playing at home."

Despite their outward caution, Arrese, Avendano and Perlas -- inevitably dubbed the G-3 -- know that Spanish chances have been boosted enormously by the return to form of Carlos Moya, the only player in their ranks to have won a Grand Slam title.

The 24-year-old Moya, French Open champion in 1998, reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam event for the first time in two years in Australia last month after two years of serious back injuries.

In an outstanding third-round victory over local favourite Lleyton Hewitt, Moya demonstrated he was back close to his best, with his wheeling forehand once again a force to be reckoned with.

"Missing out on the Davis Cup success of last year was hard," said Moya, who last played in the competition in a dismal defeat to Brazil in Lleida in 1999.

"It made me stronger. It gave me the strength to train longer and harder on my way back. I'm only 24 years old and my best years on the court are ahead of me. Missing the Davis Cup helped me realise that."

RIVALS FOR SINGLES BERTHS

With Moya back in business, there will be a great deal of competition for the singles berths. Juan Carlos Ferrero, who took Spain to the title against Australia with nerveless wins over Pat Rafter and Hewitt, is likely to get the nod against the Dutch.

There are plenty of other options, though, including Alex Corretja and, for future rounds, the fast-improving youngsters Tommy Robredo and Alex Calatrava.

In the doubles, Corretja and Joan Balcells will gain heart from their straight-sets win over Mark Woodforde and Sandon Stolle in Barcelona.

Only four times in Davis Cup history have the champion nation lost in the first round of the competition the following season.

Spain would settle for avoiding that fate with a victory in Eindhoven and a chance to gain some more experience against either Germany or Romania in the second round.

The odds against them repeating last year's success are stacked so heavily against them, though, that it is not even being talked about by the coaching staff.

"Winning the Davis Cup is not really our objective," said Avendano.

"We've never shown the ability to win the competition away from home and on unfavourable surfaces. That means we won't feel the pressure of being the defending champions."