VANCOUVER -- Canada is still the underdog, but after Thursday's draw, the feeling is positive as Davis Cup World Group first-round play begins in Vancouver on Friday.

Captain Martin Laurendeau's first bit of fortune came with the word that Gael Monfils, No. 13 in the world, isn't fit to play for France after a run to the finals of the Open Sud de France earlier this week.

The Parisian is nursing a chronic knee injury but could technically slot in at any time should captain Guy Forget find the player recovers sufficiently. The expectation is that Monfils could play a part by Sunday if the matches still mean something.

"Gael will probably see some action this weekend," Laurendeau acknowledged to reporters following the draw. "But it's their captain's call, to maybe give him a couple of days rest extra from the long week he had, going deep into that tournament and the long trip over here.

"We'll deal with Monfils when he steps on the court -- other than that, we'll have our hands full with the rest of the team."

With Monfils seemingly out for Friday's opening singles matches, Vernon, B.C., native Vasek Pospisil is scheduled to open the tie up with a rubber against world No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It's a monumental ask of the 21-year-old Canadian but Laurendeau says Pospisil has nothing to lose.

"Everything to gain when you play a top 10 player," Laurendeau said of the opening matchup. "You know that if you go ranking to ranking you're on the losing end, but it puts you in a position where you can just let yourself go and go after him.

"In a way you're expected to lose and you have everything to gain, so a lot of times as an underdog it brings your level up by a notch or two, and allows you to go for it basically -- and that's the position Vasek is in."

Realistically, Tsonga is expected to win, and do so comfortably against the youngster, but the second matchup of the day is a more interesting proposition as Thornhill, Ont., native Milos Raonic plays Julien Benneteau.

No. 29 in the world, Raonic is six spots up in the rankings over his 30-year-old opponent, but recent history is on Benneteau's side after he came out on top in the Paris Masters 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4 when the pair met last November.

Still, after the draw Raonic was bullish about his team's chances.

"Maybe as a team we're underdogs, but I think if we look at the one-on-one matchups we have a good opportunity," Raonic said. "We play quite an aggressive game, from all of us, and we try to dictate more than get our court controlled.

"The situation and the conditions we've provided for ourselves is ideal and will give us the best opportunity to win. It's just a matter of converting those opportunities."

Raonic said he has prepared for this tie as if it's the first round of a Grand Slam, but feels the team dynamic -- normally foreign to singles tennis -- can act as an extra motivational factor.

"I'll definitely be out there supporting (Pospisil in the first match)," Raonic said. "Tennis is often about waiting, but there's a connection in this match more than just waiting for another match during a tournament, so I'll be quite amped up but it's something I can feed off of and build off of going into my match."

After Friday’s opening matches, Daniel Nestor will play his 40th Davis Cup match on Saturday alongside Pospisil as the pair takes on Michael Llodra and Benneteau in doubles play. The tie concludes on Sunday with the reverse singles matchups, as Tsonga plays Raonic and Pospisil faces Benneteau, barring the return to fitness of Monfils.