Confident Canucks

THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER -- Canada's unheralded men's tennis team is refusing to be intimidated by a powerhouse French squad that is the clear favourite heading into this weekend's Davis Cup clash.

"We're the underdog on paper," said Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau. "But deep down, we all believe that playing at home, playing with the momentum that we've carried from last year and drawing on the confidence and good feelings we've had from winning Davis Cup last year, we can all bring it together and raise everybody's game."

The French team boasts No. 6 Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, No. 13 Gael Monfils -- who expects to play despite a knee injury -- and No. 35 Julien Benneteau as well as fifth-ranked doubles specialist Michael Llodra.

Canada's top hopes are 29th-ranked Milos Raonic of Thornill, Ont., the country's highest-ever ranked singles player, and third-ranked doubles specialist Daniel Nestor of Toronto.

Rising star Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., (115th), who stood out while playing in all three victories on the road against Mexico, Ecuador and Israel last year to get Canada to the World Group stage against France, and 178th-ranked veteran Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., round out the Canadian foursome.

Canada is playing at the World Group level for the first time in eight years. But Raonic, who has risen dramatically in the rankings in the past year, has no plans to adjust his game against the French.

"My focus is always on myself," said Raonic, who advanced to the third round at the Australian Open last month. "I try to make my opponents adjust to me, moreso than me adjust to them."

A victory will place Canada in the quarter-final stage and ensure a return to World Group play in 2013. If Canada loses, it will be forced to compete in a playoff round to avoid relegation to Americas Zone play and a longer road back to the top level.

In addition to its talents, Canada hopes to benefit from playing conditions that it was able to control -- a partisan crowd, a small 5,500-seat venue on the University of British Columbia campus and the chosen hard court that caters to the powerful serves of Raonic, Pospisil and Dancevic. Although the Canadian team could have picked larger venues and considered Rogers Arena, the 18,890-seat home of the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, Raonic believes Tennis Canada made the right choice.

Nestor said a 10,000-seat venue, which is not readily available in Vancouver, would have been a perfect pick. However, the cozy confines of the soldout Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre will still work in Canada's favour.

"An intimate atmosphere is going to be to our advantage, and it's going to feel like the crowd is really close and vocal and in their face -- at least that's what we hope," he said.

When Canada is not relying on its youthful talent or homecourt advantage, it will depend on the wily Nestor. Now 39, he was just a 19-year-old rookie when Canada last hosted a Davis Cup competition in Vancouver in 1992.

But he upset Swedish star Stefan Edberg in singles play, providing a highlight to Canada's 3-2 loss. Although Nestor is not slated to play singles this time, he believes Canada's challenge is the same as it was in 1992.

"You've got two top-10 guys we're up against, but I think we've got a better singles lineup than we had then," said Nestor. "(Raonic) is one of the top players in the world, (Pospisil) is on his way there, and I'm still playing pretty well in doubles. So I think we have a pretty good chance."

Laurendeau, who was bypassed in favour of Nestor against the Swedes two decades ago, said Nestor is a much more confident player than he was in 1992. The Canadian captain said Nestor appeared afraid to look Edberg in the eye.

But captain Guy Forget insisted the French are not looking down upon the hosts.

"I've seen in the past that you can have upsets," said Forget. "We've beat bigger teams than ours. My goal is to make sure that we're ready for the tie. We know (Raonic) and Nestor and their friends can play.

"If they play at their best level with the crowd getting involved, it can be a tricky match."