Ferrer, Almagro lead Spain vs. US

With Rafael Nadal injured again, David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro will lead defending champion Spain for its Davis Cup semifinal against the United States this month.

Captain Alex Corretja is sticking with the same team that beat Austria in the quarterfinals: fifth-ranked Ferrer and No. 12 Almagro in singles and Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez in doubles.

The semifinal is Sept. 14-16, with Spain trying to reach its fourth final in five years.

Nadal needs at least two months to recover from a partially torn tendon in his left knee. The world's third-ranked player has been sidelined since a second-round loss at Wimbledon in June.

Corretja says former Davis Cup player Feliciano Lopez will be with the team as a practice partner.