Sweden at France Davis Cup Preview

Sweden at France
Site: Hall Rhenus Sport, Strasbourg, France
Surface: Red clay indoors
Ball: Roland Garros French Open

In perhaps the best opening-round tie this year, with 10 Davis Cup championships between them in the Open Era (since 1968), Sweden travels to France to battle on the red clay. Either Sweden or France won the Cup in six of the eight years from 1994 to 2001, the last time either team held the Cup aloft.

Mats Wilander is happy he has a deep bench this week, with injuries to his top two youngsters in Joachim "The Jackhammer" Johansson and Robin Soderling.

"Because (Johansson) feels much better in his shoulder he is here competing for a place in the team," Wilander said in a statement.

It is difficult to believe that Wilander would throw The Jackhammer on red clay for a best-of-five series with an aching shoulder against the French ball retrievers. Which means bring in another Johansson, Thomas, the former Aussie Open winner, along with veteran Thomas Enqvist to replace Soderling. Rounding out the squad are doubles specialists Jonas Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin.

"Nobody is a shoe-in and we're trying to get everyone here into as good shape as possible," said Wilander, a practiced master of the pre-Davis Cup mental games, who has until Thursday to play with his line-up.

Wilander says he relishes the meeting with one of the top Davis Cup countries in modern times.

"I guess they have a slight advantage but they have had five really good years in France and at some point luck runs out in Davis Cup and I'm hoping that it's this year," Wilander said. "Either way, it's always fun for me as a player and now as a captain to play a Davis Cup nation that has a great history in the tournament like France."

Captain Guy Forget will counter with Sebastien Grosjean, Arnaud Clement, Paul-Henri Mathieu, and doubles specialist Michael Llodra for France. Forget let his animosity show when he left doubles wizard Fabrice Santoro, who he has fought a number of verbal battle with, off the squad in favor of rookie Gael "Force" Monfils.

Thomas Johansson is tied with Grosjean (1-1) and Clement (4-4) in their career head-to-heads, while Enqvist has the career advantage over both Frenchmen in their meetings.

Were both Grosjean and Clement not in and out of tour play with injuries over the last year, the nod would have to go to the Frenchmen on their home red soil. But with the French a question mark in singles, the Swedes a question mark with injuries and the older-generation substitutes on clay, and with both squads fronting experienced doubles teams, this tie should be an exciting toss-up likely not decided until the Sunday singles.