Fifth-ranked David Ferrer, who was on all three of Spain’s title-winning teams in the past four years, was drawn on Thursday to play Andreas Haider-Maurer in the second singles match on outdoor clay.
Spanish pair Marc Lopez and Marcel Granollers play Alexander Peya and Oliver Marach in Saturday’s doubles, with reverse singles scheduled for Sunday.
The winner will face either the United States or France in the semifinals.
Five-time champion Spain can pass Germany with a 23rd straight win at homeâ€" where it hasn’t slipped up since 1999â€"for the second longest run in the competition.
Spain has won all 24 series on clay since losing to Brazil 13 years ago and is in pursuit of Italy’s record 28 home wins from 1949-1964.
In the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, Austria is looking to reach the semifinals for only the second time. The team has won three of four meetings with Spain, which is again without Rafael Nadal. The last Spanish triumph came in 1979.
Ferrer, who is 12-0 in singles matches on clay, returns after missing the first-round victory over Kazakhstan. He had initially made himself unavailable due to this year’s busy calendar due to the addition of the Olympics.
Last year, Ferrer swept aside the 139th-ranked Haider-Maurer 6-1, 6-1 on clay in their only previous meeting.
“I feel well both physically and mentally. It’s true I started this season with a lot of matches, but this also helps your confidence,†said Ferrer, who has already won three titles this season. “I arrive here in a good moment.â€
Spain captain Alex Corretja is wary of any overconfidence with the 21st-ranked Melzer holding a 2-1 overall record against Almagro.
“Melzer is a player who has already beaten David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro and Marcel Granollers. He’s a player who knows how to win on clay. He was a French Open semifinalist,†Corretja said. “But I think we only have to worry about ourselves in this series.â€
Rain risks disrupting Friday’s play on the outdoor court.
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