French and Russians chase history ahead of Davis draw

Chris Wright Agence France-Presse Paris

A century has passed since it all began - 102 years to be precise - but it's all a far cry from Longwood Cricket Club in Boston, where the first Davis Cup final took place between the United States and the British Isles in August 1900.

This year the final focus switches to Paris as France prepare to land their tenth title and deny Russia their first.

The competition was the brainchild of Harvard student Dwight Filley Davis but if the Americans largely dominated the early years the 21st century has so far belonged to the French, who shocked Australia in Melbourne 12 months ago.

France have gambled by laying indoor clay at the Palais des Omnisports at Bercy in eastern Paris, knowing that Russian pair Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov are both specialists on the surface, Kafelnikov having won the French Open across the city at Roland Garros in 1996 while Safin is a former French Open semi- finalist.

Yet Australian grass was not supposed to suit Guy Forget's French warriors either and they still managed to pull off a shock triumph last year.

Forget's main concern this week has been whether to play Arnaud Clement or youngster Paul-Henri Mathieu in the singles along with Sebastien Grosjean.

"The decision is made all the more difficult when it's the final at stake," said Forget, who is involved in his fifth final in 11 years, counting two as a player.

History shows that the team which wins the doubles tends to win the competition - but here Forget is taking a gamble in associating Fabrice Santoro with Nicolas Escude for the first time, at the expense of Mickael Llodra, who played, and lost alongside Santoro in the semifinals against the United States.

Forget maintains he has three players who could see off Safin and Kafelnikov on a good day.

Although Santoro has a superb 6-1 win/loss record against Safin he has an equally poor one against Kafelnikov, meaning that up-and-coming 20-year-old Mathieu had been seen as the potential alternative to Clement.

But the 26-year-old Clement is, in Forget's view, "better equipped than ever for the job and has been involved throughout this year's campaign."

The remaining questionmark, until Wednesday, had revolved around Clement's fitness as he has been taking anti-inflammatory products for six months to tackle tendinitis in his right wrist.

Mathieu, nonetheless, insists he is ready if called upon having just won his first two Tour titles in Moscow and Lyon - although an abdominal injury has hampered him in recent weeks.

Former Russian president, and keen tennis fan, Boris Yeltsin will be on hand to cheer his compatriots to glory - hoping to ensure that Kafelnikov avoids a third final heartache after featuring in a 4-1 loss to Sweden in 1994 and a 3-2 reverse to the United States in 1995.

Russian skipper Shamil Tarpishchev, who has headed the Russian tennis federation since 1991, will renew his acquaintance with Yeltsin, whose sports and physical culture adviser he was almost a decade ago.

Safin and Kafelnikov meanwhile had a practice doubles on Wednesday and hardly spoke to one another.

Safin had earlier explained both men go their own way. "I have my life, he has his. He has his friends, I have mine."

Whereas the French are famed for their close team spirit the Russians appear to have what Safin admits is a "different mentality."