Davis Cup deck stacked in U.S.’s favor vs. France

Captain Patrick McEnroe said the team has a lot of confidence.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. has a hot Andy Roddick, the No. 1 doubles team and the home crowd. France is missing its budding star and has to play on an extremely quick surface hand-picked by the Americans.

The deck is stacked for the U.S. as it continues defense of its Davis Cup title against France in the quarterfinals beginning today.

“The guys came in this week with a lot of confidence,” U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe said Thursday. “I think our preparation has been excellent. We’ve gotten used to the court pretty quickly, and I think it plays into our strengths as a team. If we play well, we certainly feel good about our chances.”

While McEnroe is putting out his familiar lineup of Roddick and James Blake in singles and the top-ranked doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan for a record 10th straight time, France captain Guy Forget had to scramble this week.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the charismatic, Muhammad Ali-lookalike who burst onto the scene in January by reaching the Australian Open final, flew back to Paris Wednesday after an MRI exam revealed a torn meniscus in his right knee.

With Tsonga facing possible surgery, Forget named Paul-Henri Mathieu and Michael Llodra the singles players in Thursday’s draw ceremony ahead of Richard Gasquet, who has been slowed by a blister on his right hand.

Llodra, who has had more success on quick surfaces, will face Roddick, who ended an 11-match winless streak against world No. 1 Roger Federer last week, in today’s first singles match. Mathieu will play Blake later to begin the best-of-five event.

While the Bryans have been a nearly automatic Saturday doubles point for the U.S. — they’re 14-1 in Davis Cup matches since 2003 — they lost to France’s team of Llodra and Arnaud Clement in last year’s Wimbledon final.

The reverse singles Sunday tentatively pit Mathieu vs. Roddick and Blake against Llodra. Gasquet, ranked 10th in the world in singles, could sub for France.