Rouen, France (Sports Network) - French stars Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and
Richard Gasquet were a pair of opening singles winners Friday, as host France
jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Israel in a best-of-five opening-round
Davis Cup affair.
The world No. 8 former Australian Open runner-up Tsonga topped unknown Israeli
Amir Weintraub 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in the first rubber on Day 1 and the 10th-
ranked Gasquet blew past Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in 1 hour, 50 minutes in the
nightcap.
Tsonga is now 11-3 lifetime in his Davis Cup singles, while Gasquet improved
to 7-7.
Saturday's potentially tie-clinching doubles match will pit a French
tandem of Julien Benneteau and Michael Llodra versus an Israeli pairing of
Sela and Jonathan Erlich, while Sunday's reverse singles currently call for
Tsonga to meet Sela and Gasquet to take on Weintraub.
The tie is being staged on an indoor hardcourt at Rouen's Kindarena.
Team France, seeking its first title since 2001, is led by first-year captain
Arnaud Clement, while the heavy underdog Israel is guided by Eyal Ran.
The nine-time champion French are 3-0 all-time against Israel, with their last
meeting coming back in 1998.
The France-Israel winner will move on to face the Argentina-Germany victor in
April.
The Sports Network