Gael Monfils replaced by injured Gilles Simon for the Davis Cup tie – Tennis News
With the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals about to kick off, Team France had to make a major substitution at the very last moment, dropping the 14th ranked veteran, Gael Monfils and including the world number 13,
Gilles Simon in his place. French captain, Guy Forget, made the change just a day before the quarter-final tie is to be played against the United States. The all-important matchup will be played on the clay courts of Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune,
France from the 6th to 8th April.
Simon is still suffering from his chronic lower back injury and has been sidelined from the professional circuit for quite a while now. His lack of practice is something which worries the French tennis fans but the team captain,
Forget, had great confidence in Simon and nominated him ahead of Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra for the singles rubber. Simon will take on the hard-hitting American competitor, John Isner, in the second singles rubber of the tie on Friday and then face
off the American tennis prodigy, Ryan Harrison, in the fifth and final rubber of the quarter-final on Sunday.
World number six, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, will take off the proceedings from the French side and will face off against 66th ranked Harrison in the opening singles clash. The French spearhead is unanimously the hot favourite
for winning the singles rubbers against the Americans but he anticipates tough competition from his opponents.
"I've been in his position before, and I know you can be easily inspired when you're at that age," Tsonga said of Harrison. "There will be a lot of emotion, and it depends how he handles that."
Monfils was to play the second singles rubber against Isner but he got injured just a day before the quarter-final tie, giving an opportunity to young Simon to represent his flag in the star-studded event.
"I don't think it's going to make that much of a difference," Isner said. "It's Davis Cup. It's a whole different animal than a regular tournament. (Simon's) going to take to the court very confident."
It is very difficult to say that Forget’s decision is right or not for the French team and only time will determine it.
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