BORAS, Sweden -- Two-time French Open runner-up Robin Soderling will play in Friday's opening singles rubber in the first-round Davis Cup battle between Sweden and Russia.
Soderling will meet Russian Igor Andreev, which will be followed by a bout between big Swede Joachim Johansson and Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili. The 6- foot-6 Johansson retired from the ATP World Tour in 2008, but has decided to return to the sport after battling right shoulder problems the last several years.
The three-time 2011 ATP champion Soderling is slated to meet Gabashvili in Sunday's first reverse singles rubber.
Russia, which is captained by Shamil Tarpischev, is playing without its top stars here -- Mikhail Youzhny and Nikolay Davydenko.
Former top-five star Thomas Enqvist captains team Sweden.
The seven-time Davis Cup champion Swedes and two-time winner Russia will play on an indoor hardcourt at Borashallen.
The Russia-Sweden winner will meet the India-Serbia victor in the quarterfinals in July
