Roger Federer defers participation in Davis Cup

• Roger Federer: Needs time off

"I have decided not to join the Davis Cup team to Kazakhstan," the world No 3 said on his website. "I need some extra time to relax after the intense weeks in North America so I can finish the year strongly."

Switzerland, beaten 4-1 by Spain in the first round this year, need to win the tie to play in the World Group next season.

Federer, beaten by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals at the US Open, has played 48 Davis Cup rubbers, including doubles, and won 37.

Stanislas Wawrinka, who knocked Andy Murray out at Flushing Meadows in the third round this year, Marco Chiudinelli, Michael Lammer and Yves Allegro will make up the Swiss team.

"Of course, we would have liked to have had Roger for this match, but we were prepared for this possibility," team captain Severin Luethi told Swiss media yesterday. "But I'm happy that Stanislas is in such excellent form."

Meanwhile, Rafa Nadal arrived back in Madrid yesterday after becoming only the seventh man to win all four grand slams but dismissed the idea he was the "Spanish Special One".

The 24-year-old has been involved in a whirlwind round of public events and television appearances since capturing his maiden US Open title by beating Djokovic in Monday's final.

Nadal, though, said he could not be classified as Spain's all-time greatest sportsman, despite adding the season's final tennis grand slam to his five French Opens, two Wimbledons and one Australian Open championship.

"I think it's obvious I'm not," the left-hander said at a news conference at Madrid airport after his overnight trans-Atlantic flight from New York.

"It would be tremendously arrogant of me. All athletes have their merits for what they have done in their particular sports."

World No 1 Nadal continued to display typical modesty when he apologised to reporters for the early news conference. "I'm very grateful. I know it's a difficult time of day. I'm sorry," said the Spaniard, grinning from ear to ear and showing little sign of jetlag.

Nadal also explained the improved serve that surprised many pundits at Flushing Meadows. "The truth is I was not serving very well in the tournaments leading up to the US Open," he said. "I've worked hard on the service because it needed it. I decided to change my grip two days before the tournament, to make it (the ball travel) quicker especially when serving against the wind there always is on centre court at Flushing Meadows. It was a risk but I had to take it and it all worked out pretty well."