GB handed Davis Cup boost as France drop Simon for last eight tie

French captain opts to drop Gilles Simon for lower ranked Jeremy Chardy

Great Britain are hoping experience counts in their favour after France captain Yannick Noah took a risk in his team selection for the Davis Cup quarter-final in Rouen.

Noah dropped his original pick Gilles Simon in favour of French number nine Jeremy Chardy, ranked 38 places lower at world No 68 and thrust into his first Davis Cup tie since 2011.

Chardy will play the second singles match at the Kindarena today against Dan Evans, the British No 1 for the tie, after 17th-ranked Lucas Pouille has faced Kyle Edmund.

With Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet injured and new father JoWilfried Tsonga also missing, France, the strongest nation in men’s tennis, will rely on two players with just six Davis Cup rubbers between them.

Explaining his decision to bring in Chardy, Noah said: “He was playing well. Coming to play on clay takes some time to adapt and he did it very well. I think the clay suits his game and from what I saw in the practice sessions he was really good.”

GB captain Leon Smith is relying on the same side that defeated Canada in round one in the absence of Andy Murray, who is recovering from an elbow injury.

France remain the favourites but Edmund and Evans can boast 24 Davis Cup rubbers between them and have both played winning roles in ties.

Smith said: “That can definitely help because it is a very different experience. There’s a lot of expectation on the French team, they’re favourites for this tie, they’ll have the home fans.

“They’ve talked a lot about wanting success, Yannick’s talked a lot about wanting success in this competition so there’s a lot riding on it for them, as there is for us obviously.”

Smith’s main challenge in the build-up has been convincing clayphobic Evans that he can play well on the surface.

But he clearly knows the chances of an Evans victory today are slim at best.

“In time I think he can play relatively well on the surface but at the start, certainly the first match (on clay) in a couple of years, it’s going to take him time to put all the pieces together,” said the Scot.

Evans and Edmund have mirrored each other’s success over the last year, climbing into the top 50 and claiming notable scalps.

Tomorrow’s doubles will pit Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau against Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot before the reverse singles on Sunday.

Picture: Getty. Kyle Edmund practises ahead of the clash with France.