16 Sep 2004 - David Law Related Audio A French win in Spain? C'est Possible, says Henri As France prepare to undertake their 'Mission Impossible' against Spain in Alicante for a place in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas final, they should perhaps first consult Henri Leconte. Leconte was responsible for one of the most remarkable moments in Davis Cup history when, just three months after being in a wheelchair, he defeated Pete Sampras in straight sets to win the second rubber of the 1991 final. France went on to record a sensational victory and lift the Cup. "Davis Cup is crazy, totally crazy!" confirms Leconte, who wondered if he would ever play again after his career-threatening back injury. "It is completely different from any other tournament because you play for your country. It's a different mentality. For us it is the only time that we can be all together and have a team. That's why Davis Cup is so different and you have sometimes some big surprises with the top guys losing to players who are 200 in the world - because they can often play out of their mind. That's what I love about it." Spain won the competition in 2000 playing exclusively in their home-country on their favourite clay court surface. This year they defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 away, and then the Netherlands 4-1 at home. With Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo all at their disposal, they will take some beating. Even Leconte agrees. "I think the chances are 60% for Spain and 40% for France," he said. "The problem we have at the moment is that we don't have a real number one player. We have Arnaud Clement, but against Spain, on clay in September, it's tough. The only point we are sure to win is the doubles. The rest will be very, very difficult, so if we don't have Grosjean, then it is even worse. I think Fabrice Santoro would find it hard to play five sets twice. Against those guys in Spain, where it's hot, it will be difficult." Sadly for Leconte and his countrymen, they don't have Grosjean-- he is out with a left thigh injury. But if the 1991 final showed Leconte anything, it was that anything can happen. "Davis Cup is a completely different situation," he agreed. Guy Forget had been playing well and was expected to beat Andre Agassi, but he lost in four sets. I wasn't expected to beat Sampras and I won in three. I remember Arnaud Boetsch in the Davis Cup final in Sweden against Nicklas Kulti, and Kulti had three match points but Boetsch came back to win the match and win the tie. That's Davis Cup.팊 Leconte's own career in the competition stretches all the way back to 1982 when France again reached the final. He had only just turned 19, but it was a moment that would stay with him forever. "I had been playing the French satellite circuit, and I won all four tournaments on all four surfaces,팠remembers Leconte. "The captain told me that he wanted me to come to the quarterfinal. My first match was against Czechoslovakia, and Yannick and I beat Pavel Slozil and Tomas Smid. Then he said that if I won the next tournament that I would be in the team. I won the next tournament and so I played my first singles rubber against Gene Mayer in the final! Can you imagine? I was only 19." He didn'y win that match, but it gave him a taste of what he wanted in the future. "I don't understand the players who sometimes don't want to play," said Leconte. "I could run through a wall against the United States in 1991. I had a second chance. I had made the final of the French Open in 1988 and I didn't play well and this was a second chance for me to do my best for the Davis Cup final. I was practicing, trying my best, going over the limits, and I played an unbelievable match." Which is exactly what the present-day French team will need to do against Spain. http://www.daviscup.com/news/newsarticle.asp?id=12921 -- (脫) --

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