Alex Bogomolov, Jr. will play for Russia in a forthcoming Davis Cup clash with Austria, team captain Shamil Tarpishchev said Wednesday.
The Moscow-born player, 28, switched from representing the United States earlier this month after approval from the International Tennis Federation. The February 10-12 first-round match, on hard courts near Vienna, will be his debut outing for Russia.
Tarpishchev, the non-playing captain of the Davis Cup team, said Bogomolov, now Russia's top-ranking player at No. 34, had given assurances he would be able to play.
Joining Bogomolov on the team is Mikhail Youzhny, ranked one place below, Nikolai Davydenko and Dmitry Tursunov, Tarpishchev said.
Since turning pro in 2002, Bogomolov has represented the United States but was eligible to switch allegiances to Russia because he had not played Davis Cup at senior level.
It caused consternation in the U.S. Tennis Association, perturbed at having assisted Bogomolov through most of his career with financial grants and coaching only for him to depart for Russia at the peak of his career.
Bogomolov, whose father, also named Alexander, was a renowned coach of Yegveny Kafelnkinov, was the fourth-ranked American player before the move.
