In the last few years, Spain has won the battle of the Pyrenees.  Indeed, the French style of play seems so antithetical to play on clay that it’s amazing that any Frenchman has contended for clay’s greatest title.  Monfils has reached the semifinals before.  And yet, as athletically gifted as he is, he plays like Roddick or Murray on clay, using his speed to get to balls, but otherwise lacking the assertiveness to dominate in general.

Indeed, the French seem, as a group, much better suited for, maybe, the US Open, or even a faster surface, if it existed.  The flair for the volley, the ooh-la-la that comes with a French upbringing, and even the mental instability that derails the most physically able.

But, it’s good that Paris hosts two tournaments, not just one, and that this one in mid-November is on a fast surface.  Even so, it’s rare for the French to do well in concert.  In 2008, Tsonga won the title.  Last year, Monfils reached the finals.

It’s also the one Masters event that has somehow eluded Roger Federer.  As many titles as Federer has racked up on faster surfaces, he had never reached the semis of Paris.  Federer had been playing better tennis than usual since the US Open, perhaps to make up for his indifferent performance (by his standards) at the French and Wimbledon.

He recently won Stockholm, then Basel.  Paris is next on the schedule, and despite a prodigious amount of tennis, Federer is the last top seed standing.

Rafael Nadal?  Didn’t bother to show up.  Says he’s saving all his love for London to do well in a tournament where he failed to win a single match a year ago.  Novak Djokovic?  After reaching the finals of Paris, Djokovic succumbed to someone he might very well play in France in a few weeks: Michael Llodra.  Andy Murray?  Perhaps if Andy were part Serbian, he could join Djokovic in the Davis Cup finals.  Heaven knows that would be a better shot for Murray to win a Davis Cup than to wait for the next great British hope.

But out he went to the enigmatic Gael Monfils, a big shot, wearing his K-Swiss, and somehow able to derail the Scot.

That means the French Davis Cup team has reached the semifinals.  Monfils has the tougher of the two battles, playing Roger Federer, who has not had such a bad time of it, playing the usual guys he normally beats: a Stepanek here, a Melzer there.

The remaining player is Robin Soderling, who generally does well at these Masters 1000 events and actually beat Andy Roddick using his serve.  Roddick is probably happy with the result.  He hadn’t practiced much and is now getting his feet underneath him, hoping to do well in the year end event in two weeks time.

Both Frenchman are expected underdogs, perhaps Michael Llodra more than Monfils.  Still, as one of the rare serve-and-volleyers, Llodra is having the year of his life.  When it comes to players not named Federer or Nadal, or even Djokovic or Murray, a year where you win a few tournaments is often a breakout year.  Llodra has been a recent Davis Cup hero, and he and Monfils could not have timed things any better.  Neither had enough points to qualify for the year-end championship.  Meanwhile, Djokovic has qualified and will have to play at least 3 matches, and perhaps up to 5 prior to the Davis Cup final.

He may, understandably, sacrifice his chance at the year-end title if he can stay fresh for Davis Cup.  As the hero of Serbia, a Davis Cup win would be huge.  And Serbia, in its own way, is also performing well at year’s end.  Troicki won his first title, came within a whisker of beating Nadal in Tokyo (before Nadal thrashed Monfils in the finals) and has played great tennis (for him) since the US Open.

So while the story of the Paris Indoors seems to be about Roger Federer trying to tie Rafael Nadal for most Masters 1000 wins, there is a story withing a story, with the French Davis Cup team trying to do well in their “other” tournament, and use this winning feeling to buoy them to success in the Davis Cup finals.