At home, the Blues have the favor of the predictions against the South Americans as part of this qualifying match for the final phase.
Nicolas Lapentti, 6e world player in 1999, made the heyday of Ecuadorian tennis. Andres Gomez had won Roland-Garros in 1990. His son Emilio, 30, never did better than a 142e place in the ATP rankings and has never made it past the first round of a Grand Slam. Yet he is the undisputed leader of a team also made up of Roberto Quiroz (381e world), Diego Hidalgo (138e world doubles) and Gonzalo Escobar (40e two fold). The team coached by Raul Vivier…since 1994, never did better than a quarter-final in 1985. Ranked only 24e at the ITF, Ecuador was one of the 18 nations present at the last final phase. And while she hadn’t won any of her six Pool A encounters with Russia and Spain, she hadn’t been ridiculous either. Roberto Quiroz, notably took a set from the Russian Andrey Rublev (6e world) and Emilio Gomez had given up at the end of the suspense in the tie-break of the last set against the Spaniard Pablo Carreno-Busta (20e). The double Gonzalo Escobar-Diego Hidalgo had also stolen a set from Carreno-Busta – Granollers.
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In short, the Blues would be wrong to look down on their opponents. “On paper, we are huge favourites. But we don’t have a lot of experience in this competition either, pointed out Adrian Mannarino, 58e world who will play the second single against Quiroz.. We all play very well so I’m pretty confident, but there’s always a small percentage of things we can’t control».
Some come out of the university circuit, I know them quite well. They have a level that is higher than their current ranking.
Sebastien Grosjean
Unsurprisingly, captain Sébastien Grosjean also plays the mistrust card: “ Some come out of the university circuit, I know them quite well. They have a level that is higher than their current ranking. I saw them in qualifying in Australia, too. We are favourites, but we have to expect good games from them. It will have to be respected. It’s a team that always gives the maximum in the Davis Cup. We prepare as best we can without underestimating anyone.»
Every week, we see players beating top ranked players and we don’t cry professional error.
Arthur Rinderknech
The 59e world player Arthur Rinderknech will open the ball against Emilio Gomez, with little room for error: “Every week, we see players beating top ranked players and we don’t cry professional error, Relativize Rinderknech. This team is eye-catching.“And the benchmarks are few, even if Adrian Mannarino has already met Roberto Quiroz in the past. “I have no memory of the game, assures the tricolor left-hander. It was seven years ago (in Challenger, second division). But we did three hours of video dissecting our opponents. Quiroz, also left-handed, is notably supposed to be a very powerful player. “The Davis Cup gives us extra motivation, he explains. We have traveled a long way to come here… We intend to fight until the end».
The “davis cup magic“However, has not always operated since he has won only 8 singles matches in 22 games since his first steps in the event in 2011 … Suffice to say that the Blues have the margin to avoid a quack. Saturday’s solid double Mahut-Herbert could bring the third decisive point if the logic is respected the day before. Mahut recalled that he and Herbert had already faced Escobar, associated with the Uruguayan Ariel Behar, at the Rolex Paris Masters last year and that they had suffered a little. So also beware…
