LONDON -- Canada will get its choice of venue and surface when it faces top-ranked Spain in the first round of the 2013 Davis Cup World Group. While that means the Canadians will be able to maximize the talents of hard-serving Milos Raonic, team captain Martin Laurendeau doesnt think theres a surface out there that can slow down the powerful Spanish. "The Spaniards win everything from clay to grass, to indoors to outdoors," he said Wednesday on a conference call from Montreal. "Theyre good and they have the depth to really not be fooled by any kind of surface." Still, hosting the tie and having control over the venue provides the best chance Canada has against the Davis Cup juggernaut. They will be able to stay away from clay surfaces, which favour the Spanish and deaden the serve of world No. 15 Raonic. "Weve just got to be sure we pick the surface and the conditions that really will help to help maximize our No. 1 player," Laurendeau said. "Hes obviously shown that he can beat a lot of top players. "If we were to play in Spain, they would for sure play us on clay, even if its indoors. Now we have the opportunity to play on a surface that suits our game a lot more. We can control that, so thats the reassuring part." The two teams have met only once before, with Spain winning 4-1 at home on clay in 1991. Given Canadas weather and the Feb. 1-3 dates for the best-of-five series, an indoor venue was pretty much a lock. Laurendeau said hes sure Tennis Canadas phone will be ringing off the hook with offers to host, but theres no rush to commit and they will make a strategic decision. Canada is ranked No. 12 in the 16-team World Group and kept their spot in the competitions elite group with a 4-1 victory over South Africa in a playoff last weekend. Earlier this year, Canada lost 4-1 to France in the first round of World Group play. Laurendeau said tennis has great momentum right now in Canada and a match like this will only give that a boost. "But on the other hand, we are playing the best team of the draw. So its a tough assignment," he added. "But eventually, like Ive said before, we need to beat a seeded team and the best chance we have to beat a seeded team will be at home. "So, whether its France or its Spain or another country, we need to pull an upset somewhere. We do have players and we do have doubles who are in a position to win and upset a team at the moment. I really believe that." Spains captain Alex Corretja isnt taking the Canadians lightly. "Canada was one of the strongest rivals we could have gotten, not only for the quality of a team led by Milos Raonic but also because well have to play as visiting team just one week after the Australian Open, which means another long trip and time change," he said. "It will be a complicated tie." Elsewhere, Switzerland was paired against the Czech Republic in Wednesdays draw, setting up a potential head-to-head between two of the top players in the game -- Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych. The top-ranked Federer has a career 11-5 record against Berdych, but the No. 6 Czech defeated him in four sets at the U.S. Open. Berdych also beat Federer in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2010 and at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Switzerland will be at home for the series. Federer does not always play in the early rounds of the Davis Cup, and his plans for 2013 are uncertain. In other matches, the United States will be at home against Brazil, and Argentina will host Germany. Its also France versus Israel, Kazakhstan versus Austria, Italy versus Croatia and Belgium versus Serbia. Federer played in last weekends playoff against the Netherlands, winning both of his singles matches to lead Switzerland to a 3-2 victory that ensured his country stayed in the World Group for 2013. Berdych secured all three points for the Czechs in their semifinal win over Argentina. The Czechs will host Spain in the final Nov. 16-18. The Czechs hold a 6-2 advantage against Switzerland, although the Swiss won the last time they met on home soil in 1998. -- With files from The Associated Press china jerseys . Kobe Bryant engineered a second-half comeback, the defence stepped up, and Los Angeles beat the New York Knicks 100-94 on Tuesday, extending its winning streak to five games. nfl jerseys china . Clevelands hustling centre needs surgery to repair a muscle that split near his right knee, which could cause him to miss two more months -- a major setback for a young Cavaliers team struggling through another miserable season. http://www.chinanfljerseys.biz/ ." Henderson earned a controversial split decision win over the man he had beaten for the belt in February, Frankie Edgar, in the five-round main event of Saturday nights UFC 150 at Denvers Pepsi Center. jerseys nfl china . Johnson pitched seven solid innings and ended his career-worst four-game losing skid, leading the Miami Marlins past the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 Thursday. china jerseys nfl . The Mets recalled righty Chris Schwinden from Triple-A Buffalo and selected the contract of infielder Omar Quintanilla before Tuesday nights game. Quintanilla started at shortstop against Philadelphia.TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors new-look starting lineup suddenly doesnt look so new anymore. The Raptors have lost point guard Kyle Lowry and forward Landry Fields to injury -- both off-season acquisitions. Both were to be held out of Saturdays home game versus the Philadelphia 76ers. Lowry left Tuesdays loss to Oklahoma City with a sprained right ankle and also missed Wednesdays game in Dallas. Fields is experiencing tenderness in his right wrist. "I feel OK, not 100 per cent. But its getting better," Lowry said after Saturday mornings shootaround. "Im not going to rush back, Im going to make sure my ankle is feeling really good. Right now its not where I want it to be, it may take a few more days to get there, but were taking precautions, treatment, to make sure its getting better." Lowry has been Torontos most consistent player, averaging more than 23 points and seven assists a game. He ranks fourth in the league in efficiency -- behind only LeBron James, Anderson Varejao, and Kevin Durant. Just before halftime in Oklahoma City however, he fell to the floor in pain after stepping on the foot of the Thunders Serge Ibaka. Lowry writhed in pain for several minutes beforre being helped to the locker-room.dddddddddddd. "I was awful hurt. It did hurt," Lowry said. "I stepped on Serges foot, it turned the wrong way, its an ankle thats been bothering me since the summertime, and thats why it hurt a little bit more." Fields, meanwhile, saw a specialist this week, and will see another next week. Raptors coach Dwane Casey believes Fields sore wrist has impacted his shot -- hes averaging just 2.4 points per game on 21 per cent shooting. "If its golf, or baseball, or whatever it is, if you have sensitivity in your wrist, in that area, its going to affect you," Casey said. "I feel for him, he cares, hes hurt that he cant be available for us. Hes a super young man, he wants us to win, hes worked as hard as anyone throughout the summer, so this is a setback for him personally and for us as a team." The Raptors began the season with three new starters in Lowry, Fields and rookie centre Jonas Valanciunas. Casey wouldnt say Saturday morning who would start in place of Lowry and Fields against Philly. Toronto (1-4) has dropped two straight, while Philadelphia (3-2) has won two in a row, including a 106-100 win over Boston on Friday night. ' ' '