These two nations separated by the Pyrenees are probably responsible for more top tennis players than any other two countries in the world.  It speaks to the two respective countries’ talent development that produces players like Tsonga, Monfils, Simon, Mathieu, Benneteau, Llodra, etc. for France and Nadal, Verdasco, Ferrer, Ferrero, Lopez, etc. for Spain.

Although Roland Garros is played in France, it might as well be called the Spanish Open.  Starting in 1990s when Sergi Bruguera began the Spanish dominance of the terre battue, Spain has claimed 10 of 18 French Opens (to be fair, Nadal has 5 of the 10).  No French man has been in the finals since Henri Leconte went down tamely to Mats Wilander in 1988.

If you look at the French roster, they seem more suited to winning on grass or perhaps on hard courts than they do on their home clay.  You know the last player to win Wimbledon singles playing serve and volley?  Amelie Maursemo, who won Wimbledon in 2006, over Justine Henin.  She’s French.  The French have always produced flashy players that have a great amount of skill around the net.  They have yet to produce a dogged competitor like Rafael Nadal.

On paper, Spain could field two or three teams that could go deep into Davis Cup.  This must not be much solace to countries like Britain or Sweden that can only field one good player and then pretty much no one else.  Even Switzerland can barely field a solid team because Roger Federer routinely skips Davis Cup as it is typically scheduled the week after a Slam.

Although Rafael Nadal would make Spain a nearly unbeatable country (they could put two top 10 players if they add Verdasco), Spain still does fine without them.  This year, Spain selected David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco.  The tie is being held in France, and given Spain’s strength on clay and France’s relative weakness on clay, France decided to host the tournament indoors on a fast surface.

Normally, France could put Monfils and Tsonga and provide a formidable team.  However, like Nadal, Tsonga decided to skip the tie and recover from injury.  Instead, French Davis Cup captain, Guy Forget, picked Michael Llodra, who had Andy Roddick on the ropes at Wimbledon and had been having pretty good success in recent weeks.  Llodra also adds another twist: he serves and volleys.  I mean, he really does.  This isn’t a Taylor Dent, I’m going to get passed so I better stay back, situation.  Llodra comes into net a lot.  Of course, like any modern player, he can play from the baseline, but the idea is to get to net when he can.

Gael Monfils opened up the tie against David Ferrer.  This matchup was particularly interesting.  Monfils is as talented a player as there is, but he lacks the singular focus that a top player must have to become great.  He should never have lost to Fabio Fognini at the French Open.  In this respect, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is more focused a player.  Ferrer, on the other hand, lacks the kind of power that, say, Nadal has, but he’s quick and steady.  The odd thing is that Monfils will get passive, much more passive than Tsonga, and get involved in long rallies.  This means, he occasionally outrallies Ferrer, and Monfils is also quite quick and hard hitting.

Monfils took the first two sets, the first in a tiebreak, and the second quite handily.  Ferrer took the next two sets.  Monfils then took a decent lead in the fifth set, but Ferrer kept it close.  Monfils eventually closed it out 6-4 in the fifth.

It’s the other match that shows the mettle of a Davis Cup captain.  At one point, Gilles Simon was a top 10 player.  Perhaps Guy Forget would select him.  But Simon had just returned to tour just before Wimbledon, and was still not quite match tough.  Besides, he plays a similar style to Verdasco, and that might work against him.  Besides, Simon had only beaten Verdasco once, and that was on clay (they’ve only played 3 times, to be fair).

What about Julien Benneteau?  He’s ranked right about where Simon and Llodra are?  Verasco has a 2-0 record over Benneteau including beating him this year at Monte Carlo.

Forget went with the “hot hand” and that was Michael Llodra.  Llodra would pose a challenge few players ever get.  Someone rushing to net all the time.  With a recent tournament win (admittedly, on grass), Llodra would take on the hard hitting but often inconsistent, Verdasco.

The match started even, with no player dropping serve.  They went to tiebreak which Verdasco won.  By the second set, Llodra was getting chances to break, and he broke to win the second set, 6-4, then broke twice to take the third set, 6-3.  By the fourth set, Verdasco had barely seen any break opportunities while Llodra was getting good chances on many of Verdasco’s serve.  Llodra got up an early break and was attempting to hold.  Unfortunately, Llodra got broken, and the match continued on serve until the tiebreak.  Llodra played aggressive tennis in the tiebreak, and got up early and held the lead to win the tiebreak, 7 points to 2.

This puts Spain in a 2-0 hole.  Tomorrow, they play the doubles where 3 of 4 players are lefties.  This includes Spain’s duo of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco and Michael Llodra (who will team with Julien Benneteau).  Spain is two time defending Davis Cup champs.

In other Davis Cup ties, Russia and Argentina split singles with Nalbadian beating Davydenko in three close sets apparently marred by unforced errors, and Mikhail Youzhny beating Leonardo Mayer in three easy sets.

In a battle between countries formerly part of Yugoslavia, Croatia and Serbia have split singles.  Djokovic beat Ljubicic in straight sets.  Cilic returned the favor by beating Troicki in straight sets.  Serbia is likely to have an edge in doubles with Zimonjic and Tipsarevic playing, which would mean Cilic would have to beat Djokovic and Ljubicic would have to beat Troicki to move on.  Not an easy task.

The Czech Republic has taken a commanding 2-0 lead over Chile.  This is doubly impressive considering that neither of their best two players (Berdych and Stepanek) are playing.  To be fair, Chile doesn’t have Fernando Gonzalez playing either, and have to rely on aging Nicolas Massu and Paul Capdeville.  Ivo Minar had an easy time with Massu in straight sets.  Jan Hajek also did not struggle in his win over Capdeville.  The Czech Republic should win doubles too.  They have Lukas Dlouhy (of Dlouhy and Paes) playing.

Spain still has a chance to win the tie, but they would have been greatly aided by a Verdasco win.

The US was eliminated earlier in the year losing to Serbia.  This has freed up Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish to play Newport.