France feel Clement's Davis Cup pain
By Eric Sailliot
PARIS (Reuters) - For the second year running, Arnaud Clement will be watching the Davis Cup final from the sidelines and his French team mates are feeling his pain.
Last year captain Guy Forget left Clement out of the team to play Australia in Melbourne, a decision that proved a masterstroke as Nicolas Escude beat world number one Lleyton Hewitt and Wayne Arthurs to seal a 3-2 victory.
This year, Clement was named in the squad but tendinitis in his wrist in the days leading up to the final against Russia persuaded Forget the right-hander was too much of a risk.
Davis Cup debutant Paul-Henri Mathieu replaces Clement and will lead off the French challenge against Marat Safin on Friday.
"I am really hurting for Arnaud," said Escude who will play doubles with Fabrice Santoro. "It must be very hard for him but we will play this final for him."
Clement played in every round last year except the final and in 2002 he played in the first round defeat of the Netherlands and the 3-2 semi-final win over the United States.
"On Wednesday after training we were still uncertain whether Arnaud could play at 100 percent over five sets," said France coach Thierry Tulasne.
"He went for tests at a clinic and when he returned to the hotel, he had a long talk with the team doctor, Guy Forget and me. He told us that he was not sure whether he could play at full bore.
"We listened to him with a great deal of sadness and disappointment. He helped Guy make the decision."
ABDOMINAL INJURY
Forget said Mathieu had recovered from an abdominal injury picked up after he won two titles in October. The captain said he was not prepared to risk a player who was not fully fit in a match of this importance.
"Arnaud showed how incredibly honest he is but that surprised nobody. I have enormous respect because I know what he has gone through," said Tulasne, who was left out of the 1982 final squad which lost to the United States.
Mathieu was told he was playing just before Wednesday's "last supper" ahead of the draw, and then went to eat with Clement and his other team mates.
"At dinner last night, everyone was trying to hide their sadness for Arnaud, and some of them found it hard to do. We couldn't stop thinking about him," said Tulasne.
"It's the second time running he's missed out on the final and this year he deserved to play. It was his weekend and we looked upon it like that.
"Without the tendinitis he would definitely have played."
The man himself, dressed in the French team kit, appeared relaxed at Thursday's draw, smiling as he watched a shell-shocked Mathieu take his place in the team photograph.
"Of course it's hard. I wanted to play in this match more than any other," said Clement.
"But last night I was at peace with myself because of the way it happened. When I went to bed I didn't have any doubts - I knew that what I had done was right and that it had to be done."
probably more for me!!! 
