Without Gaël Monfils, but with the rising values Ugo Humbert and Arthur Rinderknech, for the first time: the captain of the France team Sébastien Grosjean defended on Monday a "
mixture of youth and experience
" for the final phase of the Cup Davis (November 25-December 5).
Richard Gasquet and doubles specialists Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut are also selected.
Exit Monfils, the French No.1 (21st in the world), also exit Benoît Paire (44th), among others. “
I wanted a mix of young players, like Ugo (Humbert) and Arthur (Rinderknech), and (players) of experience, with Richard (Gasquet), Nicolas (Mahut) and Pierre-Hugues (Herbert)
», Grosjean explained via videoconference. "
I spoke with Gaël (Monfils), he understands my choice: Ugo today N.1 of the team, with two young people in singles, and experience behind
", continues the captain.
At 23, Humbert (29th) is thus propelled N.1 of the France team from his first selection while he is going through a delicate period, he who won in Halle, before Wimbledon and reached the quarterfinals of final of the Olympic tournament at the end of July: we have not seen Messin for a month and he remains on four consecutive defeats on the main circuit.
“
It's true that Ugo has been having a bit of a difficult time since the Olympics, but indoor is a surface that he appreciates, it's also a competition that he likes, even if it was fair sparring-partner in 2019. He really wants to defend the colors of the France team, he is very motivated,
”argues Grosjean, indicating his presence at Bercy next week.
Gloomy season
Rinderknech, 65th in the world at 26, and 4th French in the Race, has seen his progression of more than one hundred places since the start of the season, punctuated by a few benchmark victories - against Sinner and Bautista in particular - rewarded. “
He won more than fifty matches this year (35 out of 57 played on the ATP and Challenger circuits, editor's note). He has this team spirit with his university career (in the United States), but above all his number of victories, his ambitions and his level of play make him deserve this selection,
”explains Grosjean. “
There is really this pride and this desire to play for the France team.
"
This unexpected selection comes at the end of a more than gloomy season for French men's tennis, the worst for more than forty years in Grand Slam with no eighth finalist.
Worse, at Roland Garros as at Wimbledon, none has even passed the second round.
"
Play hard
"
The French captain, however, has not closed the door to possible adjustments between now and the competition. "
It may be a possibility, there are still a few events under the same conditions, and we have the right to change three names according to the rules,
" he replies. The final phase of the Davis Cup, released in 2019 and then canceled in 2020 because of the Covid-19, brings together 18 nations over ten days (25-5 December), this time between Madrid, Innsbruck (Austria) and Turin (Italy) ). It begins with a group stage: France will face Great Britain and the Czech Republic, in Innsbruck, to try to reach the quarter-finals.
Grosjean himself made no secret of not being a big fan of it.
“
If in the future there is an evolution to return to a home and away formula (home and away matches, Editor's note), that would be great, loose the captain.
But for now, it is this formula and it must be played to the full.
""
It remains the France team, the players are very proud to be selected, and I also felt disappointment in the others, that means that they are still attached to this competition
", underlines t -he.
Spain, holder of the trophy, will not be able to rely this time on Rafael Nadal, painful left foot and shortened season, but his young nugget Carlos Alcaraz, recent quarter-finalist at the US Open, will be there .
