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Tennis - France's Fed Cup captain Julien Benneteau says it is a bit early to consider bringing French junior Diane Parry into the Fed Cup squad for France. Parry is the junior World No. 1 and also won the recent season-ending ITF World Junior Masters.
Speaking on the subject when he announced the French squad that would take on Australia in Perth next month, Benneteau says, "It is a bit early. I follow her and it's fantastic what she has done. At the US Open, I was with her.
I saw her during her match, but I also saw her during her training sessions including in Paris. She is progressing. I am convinced that she can be a very great player. I'm not afraid to say it because I told her after her match at the US Open.
She works well with her coach Gonzalo (Lopez), so she has to continue like this." Speaking about her chances for the Fed Cup squad, Benneteau says, "To return to the Fed Cup final, even if I had a big problem among the five players, I would have gone to four.
Today in singles, there has not yet been another girl who makes me say "if I bring her, she is more likely than others to go win a game against an Australian." That's my reasoning. In the very near future, it will become an additional option and create an option for the team." The 17-year-old Parry is currently ranked No.
326 in the WTA rankings and lost in the first round of the US Open to Kristyna Pliskova but impressed many with her performance there. She also reached the second round of the French Open, going down to Belgian Elise Mertens.