A French win in Spain? C'est Possible, says Henri
16 Sep 2004 - David Law
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A French win in Spain? C'est Possible, says Henri
As France prepare to undertake their 'Mission Impossible' against Spain in
Alicante for a place in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas final, they should
perhaps first consult Henri Leconte.
Leconte was responsible for one of the most remarkable moments in Davis
Cup history when, just three months after being in a wheelchair, he
defeated Pete Sampras in straight sets to win the second rubber of the
1991 final. France went on to record a sensational victory and lift
the Cup.
"Davis Cup is crazy, totally crazy!" confirms Leconte, who wondered if
he would ever play again after his career-threatening back injury.
"It is completely different from any other tournament because you play
for your country. It's a different mentality. For us it is the only time
that we can be all together and have a team. That's why Davis Cup is so
different and you have sometimes some big surprises with the top guys
losing to players who are 200 in the world - because they can often play
out of their mind. That's what I love about it."
Spain won the competition in 2000 playing exclusively in their
home-country on their favourite clay court surface. This year they
defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 away, and then the Netherlands 4-1
at home.
With Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo
all at their disposal, they will take some beating. Even Leconte agrees.
"I think the chances are 60% for Spain and 40% for France," he said. "The
problem we have at the moment is that we don't have a real number one
player. We have Arnaud Clement, but against Spain, on clay in September,
it's tough. The only point we are sure to win is the doubles. The rest
will be very, very difficult, so if we don't have Grosjean, then it is
even worse. I think Fabrice Santoro would find it hard to play five sets
twice. Against those guys in Spain, where it's hot, it will be difficult."
Sadly for Leconte and his countrymen, they don't have Grosjean-- he is
out with a left thigh injury.
But if the 1991 final showed Leconte anything, it was that anything
can happen.
"Davis Cup is a completely different situation," he agreed. Guy Forget
had been playing well and was expected to beat Andre Agassi, but he lost
in four sets. I wasn't expected to beat Sampras and I won in three. I
remember Arnaud Boetsch in the Davis Cup final in Sweden against Nicklas
Kulti, and Kulti had three match points but Boetsch came back to win the
match and win the tie. That's Davis Cup.팊
Leconte's own career in the competition stretches all the way back to
1982 when France again reached the final. He had only just turned 19,
but it was a moment that would stay with him forever.
"I had been playing the French satellite circuit, and I won all four
tournaments on all four surfaces,팠remembers Leconte. "The captain told
me that he wanted me to come to the quarterfinal. My first match was
against Czechoslovakia, and Yannick and I beat Pavel Slozil and Tomas
Smid. Then he said that if I won the next tournament that I would be
in the team. I won the next tournament and so I played my first
singles rubber against Gene Mayer in the final! Can you imagine? I
was only 19."
He didn'y win that match, but it gave him a taste of what he wanted
in the future.
"I don't understand the players who sometimes don't want to play," said
Leconte.
"I could run through a wall against the United States in 1991. I had a
second chance. I had made the final of the French Open in 1988 and I
didn't play well and this was a second chance for me to do my best
for the Davis Cup final. I was practicing, trying my best, going over
the limits, and I played an unbelievable match."
Which is exactly what the present-day French team will need to do
against Spain.
http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?id=12921
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