First Serve: Sept. 14–19

Published Sep 20, 2010

TENNIS.com's Monday morning quarterback recaps last week's pro tennis action—and offers his reaction.

Last Week's Tournaments

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Davis Cup(ITF, Various)	Semifinal: France d. Argentina (5-0)Semifinal: Serbia d. Czech Republic (3-2)
Guangzhou, China(WTA, Hard)	Final: Jarmila Groth d. Alla KudryavtsevaSemifinal 1: Jarmila Groth d. Edina GallovitsSemifinal 2: Alla Kudryavtseva d. Shuai ZhangBrackets: Singles \| Doubles
Quebec City, Canada(WTA, Carpet)	Final: Tamira Paszek d. Bethanie Mattek-SandsSemifinal 1: Bethanie Mattek-Sands d. Lucie SafarovaSemifinal 2: Tamira Paszek d. Christina McHaleBrackets: Singles \| Doubles



Llodra is unbeaten in Davis Cup this year and is 17-8 lifetime. (Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP/Getty Images)

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The Old Musketeers
Say what you want about Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The three Frenchmen in their mid-20s are some of the most polarizing players in the game. Right now I’m down on this feast-or-famine trio. Gasquet and Monfils, for all their talent, are two of the most passive pros out there. When they met at this year’s U.S. Open, they each parked themselves so far behind the baseline that a court and a half separated them. As for Tsonga, he’s been out since Wimbledon, but his attitude has always struck me the wrong way. I watched him practically concede a match to Tommy Robredo at Flushing Meadows in 2008 (playing to the crowd, not his opponent), and earlier this year he complained about his scheduling at Roland Garros when he hadn’t played in the 10 previous days.

But make sure you say something about Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra, two forgotten Frenchman. The veterans secured France’s spot in the Davis Cup final with a doubles victory on Saturday and, like a fine Bordeaux, are getting better with age. Llodra, 30, is 5-0 in Davis Cup this year, including wins over Juan Monaco and Fernando Verdasco. Clement, 32, is coming off a third-round showing at the U.S. Open and is 7-2 lifetime in Davis Cup doubles matches, all with Llodra. They are one of only two doubles teams to ever defeat Bob and Mike Bryan in Davis Cup play.

France must be at its best if it’s to beat Serbia in Belgrade come December. Monfils, who defeated David Nalbandian on Friday, and Tsonga, a streaky but undeniably gifted player, will be popular picks to play. (Don’t expect Gasquet, whose commitment will always be in question, to get a nod.) But Clement and Llodra, who embody the spirit of the competition and embrace its challenges, shouldn’t be overlooked. With their track records, it would be wise to continue playing them—Llodra in both singles and doubles—no matter what higher-ranked options are at Les Bleus’ disposal.

This Week's Tournaments


Bucharest, Romania (ATP, Clay)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
Metz, France (ATP, Hard)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
Seoul, South Korea (WTA, Hard)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (WTA, Hard)	Brackets: Singles \| Doubles

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Ed McGrogan is an assistant editor for TENNIS.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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