France vs Argentina Davis Cup semi-final preview
It may be six years since France have played in the Davis Cup semi-finals, but they arrive in the penultimate round of this year’s competition with a full head of steam after defeating defending champions Spain in their quarter-final match.
France completed a 5-0 whitewash of a Spanish team, which was admittedly missing world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, to earn a semi-final berth against 2008 runners-up Argentina after defeating Germany 4-1 in the first round of the competition.
It’s been an impressive run so far by the French team, but if they are to book a place in the final for the first time since 2002 (when they lost to Russia) they will again need to demonstrate their strength in depth, with the injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Julien Benneteau out of the team.
Yet captain Guy Forget has the personnel at his disposal to cover for injuries to some of his key players. With Tsonga and Benneteau sidelined, the French team will be composed of Gael Monfils, Michael Llodra, Arnaud Clement and Gilles Simon.
Even without French No. 1 Tsonga among its number, it’s a line-up that should cause headaches for Argentina. Monfils will front up for Davis Cup duty unbeaten so far in the 2010 competition and having reached the quarter-finals of the US Open just last week. The world No. 15 booked his place in the final eight by defeating 29th ranked Richard Gasquet (originally named in the French team but since replaced by Clement).
Llodra has, along with Monfils, been assigned singles duties in the tie and after experiencing somewhat of a renaissance this season, winning two ATP Tour titles to take his career total to five, the 30-year-old serve-and-volleyer should also make things difficult for his Argentinian opponents.
Veteran Clement (who defeated 18th ranked Marcos Baghdatis in the US open’s first round) has been named in the doubles rubber for the French side, alongside Lllodra, with the counterpunching Simon, ranked as the world No. 41 after an injury-interrupted season but who was ranked as high as world No. 6 in 2009, not handed any responsibilities in the order of play.
Travelling to France, and seeking to guide Argentina to their third final in five years are Juan Monaco and David Nalbandian, Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos – the latter two players forming the Argentinian doubles pairing with Nalbandian and Monaco shouldering singles duties.
The 2006 and 2008 runners-up have Nalbandian to thank for even being in the semi-finals. The 28-year-old has spent much of this season and last battling injuries, but despite missing the French Open and Wimbledon with a hamstring injury, Nalbandian recorded straight sets victories over Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny in the quarters as his team wrapped up a 3-2 win over Russia.
Argentina will be hoping Nalbandian, who has climbed back to world No. 28 after beginning the summer ranked outside the top-100, can be similarly impressive in this tie.
Certainly Nalbandian, who won the title in Washington this August, is going to be more comfortable on the hard courts than clay court specialist Monaco, whose three career titles (all in 2007) were won on dirt courts.
Prediction: While Nalbandian might keep his team in the contest as they turn the corner into the final two singles rubbers that still shouldn’t be enough to prevent the in-form French making the most of their home advantage to reach the final in 2010.
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