Richard Gasquet said he is expecting a stern test in the opening singles rubber Friday after being drawn against Taro Daniel in France's World Group first-round tie against Japan in the Davis Cup.
Daniel won both his singles matches as Japan kept its place in the World Group with a sweep of Ukraine in a playoff in Osaka in September last year, but Gasquet, ranked 96 places above Daniel, is favored to get France off to winning start in the first meeting between the two players at Ariake Colosseum.
Gasquet, at world No. 18 France's top-ranked player in the four-man team that captain Yannick Noah has selected, says he was impressed with what he saw after watching 114th-ranked Daniel play at the French Open last year.