French Davis Cup: Gasquet, Tsonga and Monfils drop out of the team
The French Davis Cup team suffered a severe blow two days ago, when French former World Number 7 Richard Gasquet dropped out of the upcoming first-round tie against Austria. The player opted out of the event, citing injuries. This loss is made worse
by the fact that Gasquet is the third player to withdraw from the premier tournament this week, joining players Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the courtside.
The loss of Monfils, who is currently World Number 11, or World Number 17 Tsonga alone may have been bearable. However, the absence of three important players from the French team is bound to effect the outcome of the first-round confrontation seriously.
The team will have to make a considerable effort to overcome these handicaps.
French Davis team captain Guy Forget has acknowledged the difficulty of winning a match against these odds, saying, “It's going to be a tough match. Even for us as last year's finalists, every match is a great challenge, no matter if it's the final
or the first round ... All teams are good, you can't expect any easy matches."
With the three best players on the team absent, the new line-up will consist of players Gilles Simon, Michael Llodra and Julien Benneteau. The Number 1 Singles player is undoubtedly Gilles Simon, who is the highest-ranked Frenchman at World Number
30. Llodra, who is coached by former Women’s Tennis Association player Amelie Mauresmo, may be chosen to play as the second singles player; however, Benneteau or Jeremy Chardy (who is replacing Gasquet) may be chosen as well. In doubles, Llodra and Benneteau
will team up to take on the Austrian team.
Forget, who refers to his team as “very competitive”, has been secretive about the other singles player. He says, “Gilles is our seeded player. The other player will be a surprise until Thursday.”
However, Austria’s top player Jurgen Melzer feels that the loss of Monfils, Tsonga and Gasquet is no reason for the Austrian Davis Cup team to be complacent. The player says, “we know how strong France still is. It’s just Monfils who is really lacking.
We’ll see how the others handle it.” The player has added that he is most apprehensive about playing against Simon, whose “game doesn’t suit me”.
This is a momentous occasion for Austria, who have not made it past the first round of a Davis Cup tie for almost fifteen years. However, the event will be hosted near Vienna this time, increasing their chances for support. Another fact which makes
this tie memorable is the unusual location; the matches will be held at an airplane hangar in Austria’s main airport.
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