Isner, Querrey will lead U.S. against Nadal-less Spain

New York, NY – John Isner and Sam Querrey have been selected to play singles for the United States when it travels to face reigning champion Spain in their Davis Cup semifinal next week.

The best-of-five encounter will be staged on red clay at Parque Hermanos Castro in Gijon from September 14-16.

The U.S. team, captained by former No. 1 player Jim Courier, will be comprised of the 6-foot-9 world No. 10 Isner, 28th-ranked Querrey and its legendary doubles team of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

Isner is 5-3 in his career Davis Cup singles and has a couple of big wins for the U.S. already this year, as he stunned Roger Federer on clay in Switzerland in a first-round tie in February and topped Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on clay at the Monte Carlo Country Club in a quarterfinal showdown with France in April.

Querrey is just 1-4 in his career Davis Cup singles rubbers.

The Americans will head to Spain without Mardy Fish or Andy Roddick, as Fish pulled out of the U.S. Open draw this week citing "health concerns," while Roddick will retire from tennis when his 2012 U.S. Open is complete.

Spain, captained by former top-five star Alex Corretja, is expected to counter with world No. 5 David Ferrer, 12th-ranked Nicolas Almagro, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez. Ferrer is a dominant 19-4 in Davis Cup singles, including 14-0 on clay, while Almagro is 7-2, including 7-1 on the dirt.

The Spaniards will play without reigning French Open champion and former world No. 1 star Rafael Nadal, who has been sidelined since losing in the second round at Wimbledon, due to a partially torn patella tendon in his left knee.

The U.S. and Spain have split 10 career meetings, with the Spaniards winning the last two matchups, including a quarterfinal victory in Austin, Texas last year. Spain also beat team USA in the 2004 Davis Cup finale.

The United States boasts a record 32 Davis Cup titles, with its last one coming in 2007. The Americans won the inaugural prestigious team competition way back in 1900.

Spain beat Argentina in last year's World Group final in Seville, as the powerful Spaniards have won five of the last 12 Davis Cup titles.

The winner between the U.S. and Spain will face the Argentina-Czech Republic victor in the 2012 final in November.