Spain and France Face Another Cup Tie
Beginning on Friday, the Davis Cup quarter-finals will see many thrilling encounters. Among them is the 7th Cup match between France and Spain, in which defending champions Spain are held as favourites.
The first time these two nations met in the Davis Cup was in 1923 when France collected their only victory to date. Since then, Spain has defeated their northern neighbors six times in a row. Having won the Davis Cup in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2009, fans will not be surprised to see Spain come out on top in this quarter-final.
But with a home court advantage, France may be able to cause an upset in the tie. France has won the Cup 9 times, most recently in 2001, and defeated Germany 4-1 in the first round back in March.
With all of its players in the top 35 singles world ranking, the French team is abundant in talent. 23 year-old youngster Gaël Monfils, currently ranked as World No. 19, has impressed in recent years. Reaching the semi-final of the 2008 French Open, and the 3rd round of this year’s Wimbledon, Monfils looks certain to improve in the coming years.
A defensive baseline player, Monfils often forces errors from his opponents, and has been praised for his athleticism and court coverage by experts. He defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber in three straight sets in France’s first-round win over Germany.
Gilles Simon, winner of 6 ATP titles to date, is another young prospect on the French side that will face Spain. Coached by veteran Thierry Tulasne, Simon often hits an early forehand, reminiscent of former player Andre Aggassi in his prime.
Julien Benneteau, the 28 year-old who is ranked as World No. 22 in the doubles category, will be an asset to France in the doubles matches.
Alongside partner Michael Llodra, who will also play against Spain, Benneteau made it to the quarter-finals of the doubles category in Wimbledon, where they were knocked out by Argentinian duo Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank.
30 year-old Llodra brings experience to the French team, having won the doubles category of the Australian Open twice, in 2003 and 2004, and in Wimbledon in 2007.
But France will have to face a strong Spanish team, whose four players all rank between 10 and 25 in the current world rankings.
Having had a full-time coach since he was eight, Fernando Verdasco is no newcomer to the game. This year, fifth-seeded Verdasco defeated Swede Robin Soderling to claim the Barcelona Open title, and won the SAP Open after defeating US top-seed Andy Roddick.
It was Verdasco who won the deciding matches for Spain in the 2008 and 2009 Davis Cup finals, and his teammates will be hoping for a similar performance in this year’s Cup.
David Ferrer also played a part in Spain’s recent Davis Cup wins, and he is in the team to face France this week. Ferrer has been known to perform well on hard courts before, reaching the 2007 US Open semi-finals, where he lost to Serbian player Novak Djokovic in three straight sets.
Left-handed Feliciano López, currently ranked as World No. 25, has an offensive, spectator-friendly playing style. He slices his one-handed backhands, and rarely shies away from approaching the net for a volleyed finish.
Nicolás Almagro, an offensive baseline player, completes the Spanish Davis Cup lineup. His 2010 season has seen him defeat Soderling and teammate Verdasco. Almagro will be looking to add to his three previous wins in two Davis Cup ties against France.
With Spain in stunning form over the last decade, fans will not be surprised to see the team defend their title for the second year in a row in 2010.
But with France having a particular advantage in the doubles category, nothing should be taken for granted just yet.
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