Davis Cup: the draw
俄羅斯的隊員可能還會有一些變動，不過目前是這樣。
Gasquet set for Davis Cup debut
Ten years after appearing on the cover of France's leading tennis
magazine as the nine-year-old hope of French tennis, 19-year-old
Richard Gasquet is finally set to make his Davis Cup debut. Gasquet
opens against Russia's Igor Andreev in a Davis Cup by BNP Paribas
quarterfinal for which the draw reads:
Igor Andreev (RUS) v Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) v Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Igor Andreev/Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v Arnaud Clement/Michael Llodra (FRA)
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) v Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Igor Andreev (RUS) v Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
For many, Gasquet's first appearance in tennis's premier team competition
was an inevitability, but Gasquet has come through a rough couple of years
since announcing his presence as a 16-year-old at the 2002 Monte Carlo
Masters, where he thrilled local fans with a three-sets win over Franco
Squillari, then ranked 51.
This year he has been one of only three players to have beaten Roger
Federer, that also coming at Monte Carlo, where his win from match
point down announced that he had put behind him a troublesome period
which saw a series of injuries, two changes of coach, chicken pox,
and a few classic teenage problems of graduating from childhood to
adulthood.
With Andreev's name first out of the pot at Thursday's draw in Moscow's
Olympic Stadium, Gasquet is well set to give France a winning start, if
he can justify his ranking of 17, compared to Andreev's of 46. Their one
previous match, won by Andreev on the grass of London's Queen's Club last
year, is of little consequence given the strides Gasquet has made this year.
The only surprise in the draw was that Andreev was nominated in place of
the higher-ranked Mikhail Youzhny (27th), but the feeling among the several
dozen journalists attending the tie in Moscow is that Russia's captain
Shamil Tarpischev may well be holding Youzhny back for a possible fifth
rubber against Paul-Henri Mathieu, the man he beat from two sets down to
give Russia its first and so far only Davis Cup title in a dramatic final
in Paris three years ago.
But for that to happen, Nikolay Davydenko will have to play both his
singles, and his presence on the opening day is something of a gamble by
Tarpischev. Davydenko may be the world No 7, and his Champions Race
position of 5th testifies to the fact that 2005 is the best year of
his career. But the French Open semifinalist has retired from his
last two matches - in Wimbledon and Gstaad - with an inflammation to
his right wrist. "I may have some pain," he said after the draw, "but
I'm sure I can get through one match. Then we'll see."
Davydenko, playing his first Davis Cup tie as Russian No. 1 due to the
absence through injury of Marat Safin, tests his wrist in the second of
the opening day's singles against Paul-Henri Mathieu, the Frenchman who
despite being ranked just 57th has won his last three Davis Cup matches,
defeating Carlos Moya, Joachim Johansson and Thomas Johansson.
If Davydenko can't play on Sunday, then Youzhny will be needed against
Gasquet, unless Tarpischev brings in the Davis Cup rookie Teimuraz
Gabashvili, a 20-year-old with a ranking of 211.
France's captain Guy Forget continues to say Russia is a slight favourite,
though it's hard to believe him looking at the draw. Forget has the one
clear advantage in the presence of the experienced Cl赌ment and Llodra
in the doubles, as Youzhny and Andreev have never played together. But
Forget believes Davydenko and Andreev - a regular pairing on the tour -
will face the French on Saturday, assuming Davydenko's wrist comes through
Friday's test.
It could be that the destination of this quarterfinal rests with how a few
tendons in Davydenko's right arm behave over the next three days.
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