The United States plan a grassy route into the Davis Cup semi-finals when they tackle Chile on the game's fastest surface in their last-eight encounter starting on Friday.

The Americans have taken the relatively unusual step of opting to play on grass in California in a bid to unsettle their Latin American quarter-final opponents, who are usually more comfortable on the slower surfaces such as clay.

With the world's fastest server, Andy Roddick [Images], fronting their squad US team member James Blake does not think the choice will backfire, even though he himself is no grasscourt specialist.

"I like our chances on grass," Blake told the official Davis Cup website. "Andy lobbied very heavily for the grasscourts and he's proven the last few years that he's the second best grasscourt player in the world outside of Roger (Federer).

"That gives us a lot of confidence.

"I think the Chileans aren't as comfortable on grass so that's going to give us I think even more an advantage than having our home fans."

The last time the U.S. played a Davis Cup tie on grass the unthinkable happened -- seven-times Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras lost to Spanish claycourt specialist Alex Corretja in 2002. Roddick, though, won both his rubbers in a 3-1 U.S. success.

Olympic champion Nicolas Massu and last year's Wimbledon quarter-finalist Fernando Gonzalez will provide an accomplished Chilean challenge and Massu is relishing the role of underdog.

"It's the surface I have the least experience on," he admitted. "I don't know if I like it or not.

"We will try to do our best. We don't have anything to lose. The USA have to win the tie."

Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, back to his best having reached the Miami [Images] Masters final on Sunday, will once again assume the dual role of player and captain when they take on Argentina on indoor carpet in Zagreb.

"It's actually very difficult," said the world number five, who performed the same role in the first round win over Austria.

"It's really hard because I have a lot of media things as captain, as a player, and a lot of pressure also from the players' side because they always ask something."

Ljubicic hopes that former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic will eventually take the captain's role but his more immediate concern will be to repeat his Miami semi-final thrashing of Argentina's world number three David Nalbandian.

HEWITT BACK

France [Images] play host to old foes Russia [Images] in Pau in another indoor carpet clash. The tie is a repeat of last year's quarter-final won 3-2 by Russia in Moscow [Images] and the 2002 final, which the Russians also won 3-2, this time in Paris.

The French, for whom Sebastien Grosjean and Richard Gasquet will probably contest the singles, need to take advantage of the lack of match sharpness of Russia's Marat Safin [Images] who is still feeling his way back after knee surgery.

Grosjean hopes playing in Pau again is a good omen. "We played a lot of matches over there since 1991," he said. "Touch (wood), we have never lost over there so I hope we keep on getting the same result."

Belarus attempt to repeat their surprise first-round thrashing of Spain by causing another upset against Australia on the fast outdoor hardcourts of Kooyong.

The Australians have been boosted by the return of their number one Lleyton Hewitt [Images] after he missed the first round with an ankle injury.

His success or otherwise at neutralising the big serve of Belarus's best player Max Mirnyi is likely to be decisive.

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