THE very idea of Roger Federer poring over results books and any hastily gathered material on Alan Mackin is the most numbing to emerge on the eve of a Davis Cup tie in which, for the first time for many a day, the top-ranked Great Britain player available has not been chosen for the singles. Welcome to the remarkable world of life after Tim Henman’s retirement from the competition.

Never can the prospect of the world No 1 playing the No 233 have caused such excited gabble as in the aftermath of the draw for the World Group qualifier yesterday that offers a Scottish lamb to the Swiss slaughter. And, with the greatest of respect to the 24-year-old from Paisley, that is exactly the expectation for Federer’s first outing on home soil in 18 months spent accumulating wealth and adulation in equal proportion.

The Swiss had assumed that Greg Rusedski, No 29 in the Indesit ATP world rankings, would play some part on the first day, so much so that Stanislas Wawrinka, their No 2, dashed from the press conference with Georges Bastl, his compatriot, to get in some practice against a right-hander for the first time here.

They had not considered that Jeremy Bates, the Britain captain, would be so bold as to try to win a tie that contains, in opposition, the best player in the world by a mile. To do so, Bates has left out Rusedski today hoping that, come Sunday afternoon, with the tie standing at 2-2, he will be in a position to unleash the left-hander against Wawrinka and carry Britain to the unlikeliest of victories.

Bates has done what all excellent captains should — pick a team in accordance with the task in front of him. This is a tie out of the ordinary in that damage limitation comes into the equation, heroics have to be discounted and personal preference must be laid aside. Whatever the outcome, no one can deny that Bates has come of age as a leader of a team, something he was asked to do from the moment he knew that his time in charge would be Henman-less.

What Bates wants from Mackin this afternoon is to run his socks off, to chase every lost cause and to play with a bravura beyond his means. Even if he is getting a hiding, Mackin has to try to dredge every last ounce in the hope, albeit forlorn, that he takes something out of the Wimbledon champion. Asked whether he was a good sleeper, Mackin said, to a laughter meltdown among his team-mates: “Yes, because I have a clear conscience.”

It is ironic that when he was chosen by Roger Taylor for his debut against Australia in Sydney in February 2003, there were those in the hierarchy who believed that Mackin should have been nowhere near the team. Now they are delighted to see him thrown to Federer in what might be a second and final sacrifice for the cause. Such are the fluctuating fortunes of the sport.

The Scot is around the same ranking now as he was a couple of years ago. He is a bit of a reformed rogue, who trains more at Queen’s Club than he used to but still spends most of his time on clay at a base in Majorca, spiritual home of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moyà.

He, like Andy Murray, speaks with a different accent from any other Britain Davis Cup performer in decades, but enjoys few hours luxuriating in the beauty that his home country has to offer.

Indeed, Scotland versus Switzerland would be a more appropriate banner for this tie, the winners of which return to the World Group in 2006. Did Federer know much about the nation his own confronts today? “It has some big hills, it is said to be really nice, very green, I understand, but I don’t know more about it than that,” he said. “I’m sorry.” With that, he went out to try to unearth some more information about Mackin, whose most impressive performance is listed as reaching the semi-finals of a Challenger event in Germany last year, when his ranking rose to No 213, its highest.

Had the draw been kinder, Murray against Wawrinka would have been the first match today because the 20-year-old has a 0-3 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles. Murray would be at his throat from the outset and such is the teenager’s confidence, he would have almost certainly given Britain the first point. Now, such a situation will only draw the nation level. And that is the best it can possibly get.

DRAW

Switzerland names first

TODAY

Singles (from 1pm)
R Federer v A Mackin
S Wawrinka v A Murray

TOMORROW

Doubles (from 1pm)
Federer and Y Allegro v G Rusedski and Murray

SUNDAY

Reverse singles (from noon)
Matches to be confirmed

LINKS
TELEVISION: Live coverage on BBC Two, from noon.