Canada to host France at Davis Cup showdown

Canada's 2012 Davis Cup World Group first-round tie against France will be held in Vancouver in February, Tennis Canada announced. "Canada’s return to Vancouver for Davis Cup is long overdue," Canadian captain Martin Laurendeau said of the selection of the west coast city for the tie February 10-12. "With our return to the World Group and a difficult match-up against France, it makes sense that we go back to a place that has inspired us to be at our best in the past." The matches will be played on an indoor hard court at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at the University of British Columbia. Laurendeau has not yet selected the Canadian team. The 2011 squad that won three ties on the road against Mexico, Ecuador and Israel to put Canada back into the World Group for the first time since 2004 included Daniel Nestor and rising star Milos Raonic. Davis Cup veterans Frank Dancevic and Peter Polansky, Philip Bester and Vasek Pospisil also represented Canada last year.