The fact that French players are lacking the mental strength to grab their chances has been attested endlessly throughout the last decades. Tsonga lost one of his rare battles with Djokovic when it mattered most, namely in the final of the Australian Open 2008, Cornet lost being up 5-2 in the 3rd set to Safina (a loss that marked the beginning of the end for her), Bartoli is being defeated recently by lower-ranked players, Monfils and Gasquet are constantly injured and unfortunately, the string of French misses doesn't end here. The Fed Cup battle with Russia this last weekend was just the missing cherry on the cake.
Entering as the underdogs, Alize Cornet and Virginie Razzano did wonders in beating Kuznetsova, respectively Sharapova, to ensure a 2-0 lead. Once again, France had the upper-hand and a place in the semis was within their reach. Then the usual thing happened. After getting a good night's sleep, the Russian squad came out stronger than ever and managed to turn things around, while France succumbed. The previous hard work proved to no avail eventually, as Kuznetsova/ Pavlyunchenkova beat Coin/Cornet in the decisive doubles match to seize a 3-2 win.
Another conclusive example is the Davis Cup final against Serbia last November. Prior to the final, I was expecting two single wins for each team, the double clash to decide the winner. Deep down I was hoping one of the Frenchmen could beat Djokovic. After Llodra subdued the Serb in Paris a couple of weeks before, I was counting on a repeat. Guy Forget, however, had other ideas. He selected Simon to play Djokovic. Of course, Gilles lost in three sets. Even so, after the first two days, France was 2-1 ahead and was in need of one more win to capture the trophy. Clement and Llodra did a great job in overcoming Zimonjic/ Troicki in a five set thriller showing great fighting spirits. With the odds on their side, Forget blew it once more. I am not sure what exactly went through his mind, but he picked Llodra over Simon (who holds a 5-0 record against Troicki) to face the Serb in the singles' rubber. I was appalled by his judgment and the fact that Llodra lost easily in 3 sets substantiates my thinking. His choice was faulty and, in my opinion, deprived France of the win.
Having such huge talents (i.e. Tsonga, Monfils, Gasquet, Simon, Bartoli, Golovin or Cornet), it is shocking that France doesn't have a top ten player. So why do French players excel in creating opportunities, but are lousy in taking then?
photo: Kivrin /Golovanov
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