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| November 24, 2002 | Sunday | Ramazan 18, 1423 |
Russian experience against French spirit, home advantage
PARIS, Nov 23: Russia have the upper hand in experience with two Grand Slam winners on board - but France have home advantage and unbending team spirit going into next week’s Davis Cup final at the Bercy stadium here.
Russia lead 3-0 in terms of Grand Slam titles with Yevgeny Kafelnikov having landed the 1996 French Open and 1999 Australian Open and Marat Safin the 2000 US Open.
Arnaud Clement reached the 2001 Australian Open final - but that is the best showing in a major the French defending champions can offer.
However, a fanatical crowd and their renowned team spirit could propel the French to their tenth title, while last year they were strong enough to beat Australia Down Under.
If the French can win it will be the first time they have managed to retain the trophy since 1932 but skipper Guy Forget says he believes if his men can transfer their form in training to the real thing they can rise to the challenge.
“Everything is going as planned - we are on schedule to launch the rocket,” Forget said Friday.
The United States and Australia have dominated the tournament to date with the Americans stacking up 31 victories and the Aussies 27 - but both had to take a back seat this year, falling to France and Argentina respectively.
To date, the finalists have never met, but in the days of the old Soviet Union the French won two of three encounters.
The French, who proved too strong for an Australian squad led by world number one Lleyton Hewitt in Melbourne 12 months ago, should on paper retain the cup.
But they have not forgotten their 1999 final defeat to the Australians on home territory in Nice and will be wary of a repeat as the final comes to Paris for the first time since 1933, when the French lost 3-2 at the hands of Great Britain.
The French, who trade Cedric Pioline for Clement compared with last year’s squad, have played their last three home finals outside the capital, scoring an emotional victory over the USA in Lyon in 1991 to avenge a 1982 loss in Grenoble before their Nice setback.
They will hope Escude, with ten wins in 12 Davis Cup encounters, shows the form he did in Melbourne when he beat Hewitt in the opening rubber and then overcame Wayne Arthurs in the decider - even if this time his task is set to be restricted to landing the doubles.
Singles duty falls primarily to Sebastien Grosjean, who reached the semis at Roland Garros last year and the quarters this.
The Florida-based man from Marseille is currently 10-6 in Davis Cup - and he instrumental in seeing off the United States in the semi at Roland Garros in September, where Clement, a modest 6-5 in tournament play, opened up by beating Andy Roddick.
Santoro is 6-1 against Safin and hopes to keep that going assuming they face off in the doubles. Against Kafelnikov, in contrast, he is 0-6.
Forget, who believes Santoro could “get under Safin’s skin” once again, says Grosjean’s form will be key.
“He is the leader of the team and France is waiting for him to do his stuff.
Arnaud is a player any captain would like to have in his team for his kind disposition and serious nature, Fabrice is a calming influence while Nicolas has often produced his best tennis in the Davis Cup.”—AFP
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