Tsonga joins Monfils in missing Davis Cup

PARIS - France will be without its two top players in next week’s Davis Cup first round after the injury withdrawal Monday of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 2008 Australian open finalist said he would not be able to play due to injury in the March 4-6 tie against Austria in a venue at the Vienna airport.

“Since the start of the season I have had a hernia problem,” said the 16th-ranked player, who lost the Rotterdam final to Robin Soderling a week ago but went out in the quarter-finals in Marseille to Mikhail Youzhny.

Gael Monfils withdrew earlier with a wrist injury which he aggravated at the Australian Open. Tsonga also missed the 2010 final in Belgrade with a knee injury in December.