Monaco name team for SA duel

Monte Carlo - Monaco have announced their best possible team to face South Africa next weekend in their crucial Europe/Africa Zone Group 2 Davis Cup tie.

The tie - to be played from January 31 to February 2 - will be staged at the Irene Country Club outside Pretoria on a medium to fast hard court.

Monaco’s non-playing captain Christophe Boggetti nominated his four best possible players for their home tie.

They are: Benjamin Balleret, Romain Arneodo, Thomas Oger and Guillaume Couillard.

South Africa will be without their top player Kevin Anderson, who made himself unavailable for the tie.

The South Africans have been victorious in both of the previous meetings between the nations, including a tight 3-2 win in Monte Carlo in 2008.

South Africa endured a miserable season in 2013, losing to Poland and Slovenia, consigning them to a relegation playoff against Russia in October. The Russian team eased to victory in Moscow, winning all five rubbers, and consigning South Africa to relegation after five years at Group I level.

Monaco enjoyed a fine victory over Belarus in the first round of 2013, and led 2-1 going into the final day of their quarter-final tie with Latvia in April.

 However, Latvians Ernests Gulbis and Andis Juska defeated Benjamin Balleret and Jean-Rene Lisnard respectively to seal the tie.

Teams:

Monaco

Benjamin Balleret (singles 261; doubles 315)
Roman Arneodo (singles 539; doubles 412)
Thomas Oger (no ranking)
Guillaume Couillard (no ranking)
Captain: Christophe Boggetti

South Africa

Rik de Voest (singles 169; doubles 273)
Raven Klaasen (doubles 45)
Ruan Roelofse (singles 733; doubles 196)
Izak van der Merwe (singles protected ranking of 270)
Nikala Scholtz (singles 954; doubles 862)
Captain: John Laffnie de Jager

Programme for the tie:

Friday: 09:45  - Opening Ceremony. The first singles match will start at 10:00 with the second rubber following immediately thereafter.

Saturday: 12:00 - Doubles match

Sunday: 10:00 - First reverse singles match, followed by final singles match.

All the matches are played as the best of five sets until a result has been achieved.