Britain handed Gasquet let-off as they eye end to 34-year wait
GREAT Britain will not face a singles match against the Frenchman who went furthest at Wimbledon when the two nations clash in a Davis Cup quarter-final at Queen’s Club, starting today.
World No13 Richard Gasquet, who reached the semi-finals at the All England Club before losing to eventual winner Novak Djokovic, has been selected solely for the doubles rubber.
Instead Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, ranked 11th and 12th, are due to take on Britain’s Andy Murray and James Ward in four singles matches spread over today and Sunday.
Londoner Ward, whose run to the third round at Wimbledon elevated him into the world’s top 100 for the first time, meets Simon, who lost to Roger Federer in the quarter-finals, in the first rubber.
Murray, beaten by Federer in the last four, then faces Tsonga, who fell in the third round, in the other match today, as Britain bid to reach the Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1981.
Murray’s elder brother Jamie and double specialist Dom Inglot are scheduled to play Gasquet and Nicolas Mahut tomorrow.
France lost in last year’s Davis Cup final and are quarter-finalists for the 14th time in 15 seasons.
DAVIS CUP SCHEDULE
Today
▀ James Ward v Gilles Simon
▀ Andy Murray v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Tomorrow
▀ Dom Inglot & Jamie Murray v Richard Gasquet & Nicolas Mahut
Sunday
▀ Andy Murray v Gilles Simon
▀ James Ward v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga