Novak Djokovic’s participation in the opening rubber of the Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina on Friday has been thrown into doubt as the Serbian star arrives home just days after lifting the US Open title.
The world number one was drawn to take on 74th-ranked David Nalbandian in the opening match in Belgrade.
But the 24-year-old was due to arrive on Thursday just three days after beating Rafael Nadal in the US Open final in New York.
“Novak arrives today and we’ll see at what point he will be ready to play,” said teammate Viktor Troicki who won the crucial final rubber to defeat Michael Llodra of France in last year’s final.
“In any case I’ll be ready and will fight for each point to help Serbia to victory. Last year I found out three hours before the match that I would play, but this time I’m aware that he might not play if he’s not right.”
Coach Bogdan Obradovic can change his team up to an hour before the tie as the reigning champions bid for a second consecutive final.
Davis Cup veteran Nalbandian, 29, faces a potentially tough task against Djokovic, who has a 64-2 win-loss record in 2011 including a remarkable three Grand Slam titles.
The Serb leads 4-1 in previous meetings with Nalbaldian’s last win coming on hardcourt in Madrid four years ago.
US Open quarter-finalist Janko Tipsarevic has been drawn against 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the second rubber on the hardcourt Belgrade Arena.
Tipsarevic will then team up with doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic against Juan Ignacio Chela and Juan Monaco on Saturday before Sunday’s reverse singles.
Meanwhile, a weary Nadal will kick off Spain’s semi-final bid when he takes on France’s Richard Gasquet in Friday’s opening rubber in the Cordoba bullring although the world number two is still recovering from his US Open final defeat.
The Spanish are favourites with two top five ranked players in Nadal and David Ferrer as they bid to reach the final for the third time in four years.
France, runners-up last year, are hoping to follow on from their 5-0 whitewash over Spain in last year’s World Group quarter-finals.
US Open runner-up Nadal and Gasquet have played nine times but the 15th-ranked Frenchman has never come out on top against the world number two.
Fifth-ranked Ferrer takes on Simon, ranked 11, in Friday’s second rubber.
“I will not be 100 percent to play my best on the clay court, but I hope I will have enough,” said Nadal, who lost a four-set epic title match to Novak Djokovic at the US Open on Monday.
“I have only trained four and half hours, five hours since I arrived. I hope that will be enough. It’s not good that players have to play with so little time after a Grand Slam.
“There are more drawbacks than advantages in playing Davis Cup at this time. If I come, it is above all to defend my country.”
Ferrer leads 2-1 in previous meetings, with both coming on clay, but Simon won their last meeting on a hard court in Cincinnati this year.
Spanish doubles specialists Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco are scheduled to face Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Saturday’s doubles rubber.
