SWITZERLAND Davis Cup titles: 0 Captain: Bernois Severin Luthi Played since: 1923 Ties played: 138 Won/lost: W 62 L 76

Victory over Great Britain would see Switzerland play in the Davis Cup World Group for the 12th year in a row.

However, to do that they will need to end a run of three consecutive defeats at home.

The last of those came in March when star player Roger Federer opted to rest, but the world number one is back to lead his side against Britain.

Since Switzerland's last outing, the players made the unanimous decision to sack captain Marc Rosset, and Swiss Fed Cup skipper Severin Luthi will take the helm against Britain.

ROGER FEDERER Age: 24 World ranking: 1 Davis Cup record: W 26 L 10

Federer is, not surprisingly, the lynchpin of the Swiss side and has not lost a Davis Cup singles match since 2002 when he allowed a two-set lead to slip against Australia's Lleyton Hewitt.

Switzerland also count on him in the doubles and he has forged an effective partnership with Yves Allegro, the pair teaming up to win a title on grass in Halle in Germany.

Such is his influence on the Swiss side that it was Federer who told Marc Rosset he had been sacked as captain earlier this year and it was Federer who announced the team to play Great Britain hours before opening the defence of his US Open title.

Clay is generally regarded as Federer's Achilles heel but, such is his superiority, he will still be expected to win both his singles matches with ease.

STANISLAS WAWRINKA Age: 20 World ranking: 60 Davis Cup record: W 0 L 3

Wawrinka has established himself as Switzerland's number two player this year and his singles matches against Britain are likely to be crucial to his side's hopes.

The 20-year-old started the season ranked a lowly 168th but has risen to just outside the top 50 thanks largely to some consistent performances on the Challenger circuit.

However, his biggest breakthrough came on home turf in Gstaad where he reached the final, ominously for Britain, on clay.

He is yet to post a win in three Davis Cup matches, but after beating 10th seed Mariano Puerta at the US Open, his confidence has never been higher.

YVES ALLEGRO Age: 27 World ranking: 1101 Davis Cup record: W 2 L 1

Allegro's may not be a familiar name but he has made himself first-choice doubles partner for Federer following the retirement of Marc Rosset.

The 27-year-old first partnered the world number one in Switzerland's 3-2 defeat of Romania last year, with the pair winning 10-8 in the final set, and they teamed up to win the Halle title in June.

In Federer's absence, Allegro teamed up with George Bastl earlier this year to post a surprise victory over a more experienced Dutch pairing in the first round of the Davis Cup.

A specialist doubles player ranked inside the top 50, Allegro formed a brief partnership with Britain's Tim Henman in Monte Carlo last year but the pair went out in the first round.

GEORGE BASTL Age: 30 World ranking: 113 Davis Cup record: W 4 L 8

Bastl is best known for bringing down the curtain on Pete Sampras' illustrious Wimbledon career when he stunned the seven-times champion in 2002.

The 30-year-old also made headlines at the All England Club this year when he became British teenager Andy Murray's first ever victim at the tournament.

However, Bastl is normally found plying his trade on the Challenger circuit, where he is a consistent performer.

He has been a regular in the Swiss Davis Cup squad, his most impressive result coming in 2000 when he beat Max Mirnyi in straight sets.

MICHAEL LAMMER Age: 23 World ranking: 232 Davis Cup record: W 0 L 0

Lammer is by far the most inexperienced member of the Swiss team, and is expected to play the role of hitting partner for his team-mates.

Until the US Open, the 23-year-old had played only two ATP matches in his career, losing both, and had never even attempted to qualify for a Grand Slam tournament.

However, Lammer made a breakthrough of sorts at the US Open, coming through qualifying and winning his first-round match on his Grand Slam debut.

That saw Lammer reach his highest ever world ranking of 232.