Paris (AFP)

More appeared in Davis Cup for more than three years, Gael Monfils must make his return on the occasion of the new formula of the centennial competition, from 18 to 24 November in Madrid (Spain).

Captain Sebastien Grosjean on Monday selected the 33-year-old Parisian, whose last match in the Davis Cup was in March 2016, against Canada in Guadeloupe. It was during the first of the "Yannick Noah III" era on the captain's chair.

Monfils is in the lineup alongside Benoît Paire, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and duets Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut to face Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Japan in the group stage of this renewed first edition of the venerable " World Cup Tennis ".

The French, outgoing finalists and laureates in 2017, begin a new cycle under the leadership of Sebastien Grosjean who succeeded Yannick Noah after the renunciation of Amelie Mauresmo, appointed first to replace the French tennis icon at the head of blues.

The former World No.1 had finally declined the French federation's offer to coach Lucas Pouille, who ended his season on Friday due to a right elbow injury.

"Lucas was in the plans, unfortunately he will be absent until the end of the season," said Grosjean press conference that does not provide an internship before the competition.

The captain assured that Monfils is "very motivated to play in the Davis Cup." "I had meetings with him on tournaments this year, he has the Davis Cup in mind," insisted the French coach.

The current No.1 tricolor had only participated in a match under the leadership of Noah whose confidence he had lost after his last minute package (knee) in Zadar in September 2016. It was before the semifinal against Croatia of Marin Cilic.

Behind Monfils, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Benoît Paire are expected to compete for N.2 in singles. Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert must be aligned for the double.

- Djokovic face the Blues, Nishikori uncertain -

The top ranked French, with the exception of Puglia, will be present in Spain to face Japan and Serbia, on November 19 and 21 at Caja Magica, the Masters 1000 Theater in Madrid.

"These are two very strong teams with + top players + If Nishikori is there with Japan, it will be very difficult.He did not participate in the Asian tour, but it remains very dangerous.Sovia, with Novak (Djokovic ), it will necessarily be complicated, "he said Grosjean.

"Among the ten teams present, Spain with (Rafael) Nadal and (Roberto) Bautista will be favorites in my opinion," he said.

At the instigation of the American David Haggerty, reelected at the end of September at the head of the International Federation (ITF), and the Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, boss of the group Kosmos holder of the rights of the competition, the format of the legendary Davis Cup had a real facelift.

The final table of the event, which includes 18 national teams divided into six groups of three, now runs over seven days.

Each selection plays two singles and one doubles in two sets against each other team in the pool. The top six in each group and the two best runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals.

"We will all discover this new format.Play potentially up to a week, not a weekend like before, changes the fact that it will anticipate the meetings and our potential opponents," said Sébastien Grosjean.

This Davis Cup new look is planned less than two months before a rival competition organized by ATP, the World Team Cup, a World Cup of Tennis Nations to be held in January 2020 in Australia.

© 2019 AFP