Experienced Santoro axed by France
MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) -- France Davis Cup captain Guy Forget has dropped long serving doubles specialist Fabrice Santoro for next month's Davis Cup World Group tie with Croatia.
French No. 1 Sebastien Grosjean, Arnaud Clement, Nicolas Escude and Michael Llodra are the quartet who will represent France in Metz on February 6 to 8.
Newcomer Thierry Ascione, who is ranked 87th in the world, has been named as reserve.
He joins the squad as sparring-partner and cover in case of illness or injury..
"Santoro is still our best doubles player. This is an important decision regarding the way the group is working," Forget told journalists in Melbourne where he is supervising French players at the Australian Open.
"Team spirit has always been the strength of our squad. There are differences of opinion on some points. I did not create the tensions."
The 31-year-old Santoro played his first Davis Cup rubber in 1991. He has won 15 matches over the years including doubles in the 2001 and 2002 finals against Russia and Switzerland.
Currently ranked 67th in the ATP entry list, he lost to Mark Philippoussis in the second round of the Australian Open last week and was fined $1,500 for spitting in the direction of a line judge after a foot-fault was called against him.
Ascione, 23, moved up 455 places in the ATP rankings last season to enter the top 100 for the first time.
He defeated 23rd seed Felix Mantilla in Melbourne, but lost to another Spaniard, Rafael Nadal, in the second round.
