Top-ranked Rafael Nadal officially left off Spain team for Davis Cup quarterfinals

Nadal officially left off Spain team in Davis Cup

LONDON — Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was officially left off Spain’s team for the Davis Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Nadal, who also missed last year’s final over Argentina, has not played a tour match since losing in the fourth round at the French Open. He is undergoing treatment for sore knees.

Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Robredo, David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez will represent Spain when the defending champions host Germany on outdoor clay in Marbella, the International Tennis Federation said.

In the other quarterfinals from July 10-12, it’s Czech Republic vs. Argentina; Croatia vs. United States; and Israel vs. Russia.

Nadal was the 2008 Wimbledon champion, but he pulled out of this year’s tournament at the All England Club because of his aching knees.

Germany will play without Wimbledon quarterfinalist Tommy Haas and go with Philipp Kohlschreiber, Nicolas Kiefer, Mischa Zverev and Andreas Beck.

The 32-time champion Americans will again use Andy Roddick, James Blake, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan when they visit Croatia to face Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Roko Karanusic and Lovro Zovko on indoor clay in Porec.

Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek, Ivo Minar and Lukas Dlouhy will lead the Czechs on hard indoor courts in Ostrava against Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, Jose Acasuso, Leonardo Mayer and Juan Monaco.

Israel, which made the Davis Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1987, will be represented by Dudi Sela, Harel Levy, Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram on indoor hard courts in Tel Aviv against Russia’s Dmitry Tursunov, Marat Safin, Igor Andreev and Mikhail Youzhny.