The victorious United States team in 1995 had a star-studded line-up

By Piers Newbery

While Serbia and France prepare to do battle in the Davis Cup final this weekend, the most successful nation in the event's history is making plans to take back the title in 12 months' time.

The United States have won the tournament 32 times since its inception 110 years ago and former winner Todd Martin sees no reason why his country should not reclaim the trophy in 2011.

In London this week for the Masters Tennis at the Royal Albert Hall, the 40-year-old from Illinois could have been preparing to lead the US against Chile in the 2011 World Group.

Martin was interviewed for the post of captain after Patrick McEnroe stood down in September but lost out to former world number one Jim Courier.

"I am disappointed," Martin said. "I think we all looked at Jim as being a very probable choice and for good reason. He was a great player in his own right, he represented the US very well in Davis Cup and has the type of passion for competition that I think the captain needs. I think he'll do a great job."

Standard approach has been if you've got a Sampras or an Agassi they're going to win two matches and you've got to work out how to win one more Todd Martin

The United States are sixth in the Davis Cup rankings, with Spain on top and 2010 finalists, Serbia and France, in fourth and fifth.

It is a ranking that those inside the offices of the Lawn Tennis Association can only dream of, with Great Britain currently languishing between Portugal and Latvia down in 44th place.

It is of course a national embarrassment that Britain remain tied with France for third place in the all-time Davis Cup roll of honour despite claiming their last victory back in 1936 - a year made so famous in British tennis as it saw Fred Perry become the nation's last male Grand Slam singles champion.

But of the four most successful nations in the tournament's history, it could be said that three of them are in varying stages of decline, with Britain languishing in the Europe/Africa Zone Group II, Australia down to 20th in the rankings in Asia/Oceania Zone Group I, and the US struggling to live up to an illustrious past.

McEnroe resigned as team captain after 10 years in the post and can be proud of a record that included victory in 2007 with a team comprised of Andy Roddick, James Blake and doubles specialists Bob and Mike Bryan, and a battling 3-2 final defeat in Spain in 2004, when Mardy Fish stepped in for Blake.

McEnroe's last act as captain was to guide his team to an impressive win on Colombian clay in September that kept the US in the World Group and left Courier to plan a trip to Chile in next year's first round.

Roddick remains the leading American man at eighth in the world rankings, with Fish (16), John Isner (18) and Sam Querrey (19) all at or very near to career-high rankings, while the Bryan brothers still top the doubles standings.

The US beat Russia to win the 2007 Davis Cup in Portland

It is a strong line-up but with Roddick now 28, and having been unavailable for the last three ties, the squad lacks the truly great players that always made the United States serious title contenders in the past.

Martin played 30 Davis Cup rubbers over nine years and was part of the US team that famously won the title in 1995 on the red clay of Moscow, and included world number ones and serial Grand Slam winners Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Jim Courier.

"In the US Davis Cup teams that have won through the years, standard approach has been if you've got a Sampras or an Agassi they're going to win two matches and you've got to work out how to win one more," Martin added.

"Frankly, if they didn't win two matches the public perception was it would then be a surprise if the US would win.

"I think the Americans need to break that mould and this group can do it. Although not one of those guys is a world-beater and will win every match they play, they all have the potential to beat any player they come up against."

There are signs of a new generation coming through with the likes of 18-year-olds Jack Sock and Ryan Harrison showing promise, but Martin does not believe the US team should lower their sights and settle for a period of transition.

"I think the expectation for the US team should be that they should win," Martin stated. "It's a situation where you can look at rankings and say Andy's barely in the top 10, and we've got three guys floating around 20.

606: DEBATE Who will win the Davis Cup final between Serbia and France?

"But the way I look at it is you've got the Bryan brothers, which is not an automatic point but close each week, and then you have to figure out how to win two singles matches. I would say any combination of the four candidates now - Roddick, Fish, Isner and Querrey - you're going to have two singles players each week who have the potential of winning a match or two matches.

"A team like Serbia has one stand-out player like Novak Djokovic, while there are a bunch of guys from France who can come in and out of the team and there's no telling who's going to do that each week.

"For the US, it's less like Serbia and more like France."

Matching either of those countries' recent achievements in 2011 would be a major coup for Courier, but for Martin his immediate concern is taking on Aussie serve-volleyers Pat Cash and Pat Rafter on a slick Albert Hall court.

"My game looks 40-years-old right now but let's say I've just re-entered training," Martin reflects.

"The biggest challenge for me is adjusting to competing again. When I'm in practice I feel fine and I can compete with anyone, the only guy that makes me feel significantly uncomfortable is Sampras and that's no different to yesteryear.

"I've heard the court is pretty quick in London and that could be pretty challenging. I've played Pat Cash a few times on the Champions Tour and played Pat Rafter a ton over the years.

"He was always at the top of my list of guys that I liked to play, not because I won but because I think he embodies a lot about what's great about competition and our sport. It'll be fun to play against them again."

And after a seven-month period working with Djokovic came to an end in April, would Martin be interested in hearing from Andy Murray as the Briton searches for a new coach?

"Well," he says after a pause. "Let's just say I wouldn't screen the call."

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