The international appeal and dramatic potential of the Davis Cup were on full display during the quarterfinals this month.
A fired-up Andy Murray played singles and doubles to help Britain reach the semifinals for the first time since 1981. Lleyton Hewitt pulled off a stirring victory in bringing Australia back from two matches down for a victory over Kazakhstan.
But Novak Djokovic, a week after winning Wimbledon, did not play for Serbia, and Rafael Nadal did not show up for Spain’s lower-level matchup against Russia. Roger Federer, who helped lead Switzerland to Davis Cup victory a year ago, demonstrated little interest in defending the title.