Rafael Nadal returns for Spain’s David Cup playoff against Denmark

The world number eight, whose U.S. Open third round exit last week was the latest in a series of disappointing results, joins seventh-ranked David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Robert Bautista for the Sept. 18-20 tie in Odense.

Spain dropped out of the top tier for the first time since 1996 when a severely depleted team lost their World Group playoff to Brazil last year.

They then let slip a 2-0 lead in their Group I tie with Russia in July and cannot return to the World Group until at least 2017.

Nadal has won 21 of his 22 Davis Cup singles matches and with Ferrer, who has only lost four in 27, also in the side Spain should be far too strong for Denmark, even on an indoor hardcourt instead of their favoured clay.

“We have a spectacular team,” captain Conchita Martinez told a news conference.

“It’s always dangerous playing outside Spain where the conditions will obviously favour the home side. We hope the court is not too fast.”

Nadal, Ferrer and most of Spain’s other top players did not make themselves available for last year’s tie against Brazil in protest at the Spanish tennis federation’s decision to appoint Gala Leon as their first female Davis Cup captain.

After months of bickering Leon was sacked in July and former Wimbledon champion Martinez, who turned to coaching after she retired in 2006 and is also Spain’s Fed Cup captain, was appointed until the end of the year.

Andy Murray has the perfect chance to shake-off the hangover of his fourth-round defeat at the U.S. Open when he leads Britain in their Davis Cup semi-final against Australia next week.

The 28-year-old Scot, will join Kyle Edmund, James Ward, brother Jamie and Dominic Inglot as Britain play a semi-final in the team event for the first time since 1981.

While Murray will play both singles, the other singles slot will be between Ward, who beat American John Isner in a five-set epic in Glasgow in round one in February, and Edmund who recently broke into the top 100 (now 103).

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“Once again the team will be spearheaded by Andy Murray who has shown incredible dedication and passion to the team in recent ties,” captain Leon Smith said.

“We carry great momentum going into the tie. However, we know the test ahead of us and the Australian team have some incredible talent that is worthy of a Davis Cup semi-final.”

Jamie Murray and Inglot, who have both reached the U.S. Open men’s doubles quarter-finals, albeit with different partners, are expected to play the doubles rubber.

The winners of the tie will face either Belgium or Argentina in the final from Nov. 27-29.