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Davis Cup: French tennis in search of a little light

2021-11-25T06:11:06.377Z


The France team faces this Thursday, behind closed doors in Austria, the Czech Republic (from 4 p.m.). A match within reach to launch the final phase well.


In the deafening silence behind closed doors - imposed by the Austrian authorities in the face of a resurgence of the damn pandemic - will French tennis wake up in Innsbruck? History to offer a little enchanted parenthesis at the end of a catastrophic season where disillusions have been chained: no player or player in the round of 16 of a Grand Slam, only one men's singles title for Ugo Humbert… The Blues who enter the field this Thursday at 4 p.m. against the Czech Republic do not leave favorites to lift the Silver Salad Bowl for the eleventh time since 1927 and the first since 2017. Captain Sébastien Grosjean thus took a private group of players to Innsbruck. his two best players in the ATP rankings. Gaël Monfils, 21st in the world, was worn pale just like Ugo Humbert, 35th.The veteran Richard Gasquet, 35, fell back to 86th place, 30 matches played in the Davis Cup, will try to bring a little experience, he who is playing his… fifteenth campaign. Adrian Mannarino, he played only two matches and only one meeting in Davis Cup, in 2018 against the Netherlands and Arthur Rinderknech discovers this event.

To read also Gilles Moretton: "This Davis Cup is a total fiasco"

"We must make a real collective effort, adapt to the situation and we will do our best to go to Madrid"

Sebastien grosjean

But this “

team B

” of the Blues does not leave as an expiatory victim, either. The experienced pair Nicolas Mahut / Pierre-Hugues Herbert, is his undeniable strong point, especially since the two friends, former world number one in the specialty, have just won a second title in the Masters doubles and have an excellent record of in this event (7 wins, 2 losses). But his two lovers of the real Davis Cup will have to sublimate themselves in the non-atmosphere of Innsbruck. “

Behind closed doors, we won't see much difference compared to what we experienced in Madrid

», Quipped Nicolas Mahut at a press conference. Two years ago, the Blues had, it is true, played in almost empty stands when they faced Japan in their first match. "

For us, the excitement is the tracksuit 'of the France team, the pride we have to wear it, the fact of representing France and going far in the competition

", continues the current 5th in the world in doubles aged 39. “

It will be a difficult atmosphere with the closed door which is imposed,

outbid the captain of the Blues.

Even on the bench, the guys will have to wear the mask.

Afterwards, the players will have to find energy other than through the public, but they have already experienced that when the circuit resumed in the United States last year.

We have to make a real collective effort, adapt to the situation and we will do our best to go to Madrid

”.

Towards a Davis Cup relocated to Abu Dhabi?

If the world numbers one and two Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev responded, ten players of the World Top 15 are missing in an event more than ever in the dark.

Wednesday evening, the British daily

The Telegraph

affirms that Kosmos, the group of Gérard Piqué would have signed a “deal” of five years with… Abu Dhabi, which would thus receive the final phase of the test the next five years.

While in our columns the president of the FFT Gilles Moretton pleaded for a return to the home-away format, it seems that Kosmos has other ideas far removed from what made the magic of this event.

Enough to bury the soul of this legendary century-old competition a second time.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2021-11-25

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