Davis Cup Preview: Great Britain vs France
The World Group Quarterfinal in the Davis Cup between Great Britain and France at Queen’s Club takes place on the 17th of July at 5.00 pm(IST). The first quarterfinal takes place between Britain’s James Ward and France’s Gilles Simon and this match is followed by the anticipated Andy Murray Vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga clash.
The doubles tie between Dominic Inglot/Jamie Murray and Richard Gasquet/Nicolas Mahut takes place on Saturday and the reverse singles takes place on Sunday.
This is the 21st time that the two nations are facing each either in the Davis Cup, with Britain holding a slender 11-9 lead, although they haven’t beaten France since 1978. Britain would be looking to reach to reach the World Group semifinals for the first time since 1981, and should they win, they would be guaranteed a home-tie against either Australia or Kazakhstan.
The last time the two teams met, France thrashed Britain 5-0 in Bayonne and the hosts would be looking to avoid a repeat.
Richard Gasquet has been omitted from the singles ties as, according to French captain Arnaud Clement, the latter needs time to rest:
"Richard just needs a little more time for recovery after his semi-final last week," said Clement.
"Gilles and Jo had a little more time to prepare for the tie, so that's the reason. They are all very close and for me it's a logical choice."
The matches should prove to be exciting and competitive.
Ward and Simon are playing against each other for the first time, while Murray holds a 10-3 win-loss record over Tsonga.
Davis Cup Team Members:
| Great Britain | France |
|---|---|
| Andy Murray(3) | Gilles Simon(11) |
| James Ward(89) | Richard Gasquet(13) |
| Jamie Murray(20-doubles) | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga(12) |
| Dom Inglot(40-doubles) | Nicolas Mahut(22-doubles) |