Mahut/Herbert Keep French Hopes Alive In Lille

Nov242018

Frenchmen own 6-1 team record in Davis Cup

FRANCE 1, CROATIA 2
Lille, France (Indoor Clay)

Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut earned France its first point of the Davis Cup final on Saturday, beating Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3).

The Frenchmen, who reached the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals last week, improved to 6-1 as a team in Davis Cup after three hours and 38 minutes, firing 41 forehand winners and saving seven of nine break points en route to victory. With an 11th Davis Cup title in its sights, France is aiming to become only the second team ever to recover from a 0-2 deficit in a Davis Cup final, following Marin Cilic and Borna Coric’s straight-set triumphs for Croatia on Friday. In 1939, Australia became the first nation to achieve the feat, recovering from 0-2 down to defeat the United States.

Herbert and Mahut, who own 12 tour-level doubles trophies as a team, once again showed their best form this season in front of a home crowd on clay. In June, Herbert and Mahut became just the third all-French team in the Open Era to clinch the Roland Garros doubles title, beating Oliver Marach and Pavic in straight sets.

Croatia and France are meeting for the third time in Davis Cup, with both nations triumphing on home soil in previous encounters. France is aiming to become the first nation to successfully defend the Davis Cup title since the Czech Republic lifted back-to-back trophies in 2012 and 2013. Croatia is appearing in its second final in three years after falling to a 3-2 defeat against Argentina in 2016.

In Sunday’s first reverse singles rubber, Marin Cilic will have the chance to earn Croatia its second Davis Cup crown when he faces Jeremy Chardy. The World No. 7 leads Chardy 3-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but the pair are tied at 1-1 in clay meetings. If Chardy manages to earn his third victory over Cilic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Borna Coric will contest a live fifth rubber for the trophy.

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'Fruitful talks' on single ATP Cup and Davis Cup competition

Posted: Nov 24, 2018

International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty is “confident” a revamped Davis Cup and the new ATP Team Cup can join forces to create a single tournament.

Haggerty says “fruitful talks” have taken place between the ATP and ITF after concerns were raised about a congested player schedule.

“At the heart of the problem is the calendar,” Haggerty said.

“Is there a way to collaborate and work together?”

The current Davis Cup format is getting an overhaul and being replaced by an 18-nation World Cup-style event to be held in Madrid in November 2019.

The ATP event, involving 24 international teams, will act as a curtain-raiser for the men’s 2020 season just six weeks later.

“We are all responsible for making sure the players have a flow throughout the season, so they can start and finish strong,” added Haggerty.

Germany’s ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev says he would be reluctant to play at the Davis Cup in late November and Tomas Berdych has also criticised the plans.

Davis Cup reforms will provide ‘extra $25m a year for tennis development’

The ATP event has been backed by world number one Novak Djokovic, but he also said creating two “average events” would not be good for the sport.

France are currently hosting Croatia in the final of the last ever home and away Davis Cup.

The ITF agreed to reform the Davis Cup in August, with a $3bn (£2,34m), 25-year partnership agreed with Kosmos, the investment group founded by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

Haggerty said: “We had very productive meetings in London with the ATP, Kosmos, the ITF, the Grand Slams and the players to talk about what is the best thing to do for tennis.

“We will meet again in January to continue the dialogue.”

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