Hosts France and Belgium will go into the Davis Cup final in Lille after two favourite victories with a 1-1 win in the second day.
After Vice World Champion David Goffin (26) took the lead with a 7-5,6-3,6-1 lead over Lucas Pouille, France’s top player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was equalised by a 6-3,6-2,6-1 draw against Steve Darcis in front of 27,000 spectators at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy football stadium.
Tsonga also did justice to his favorite role and converted his first match point after 1:46 hours. Richard Gasquet/Pierre-Hugues Herbert versus Ruben Bemelmans/Joris de Loore are scheduled for the deciding doubles on Saturday (13:00 hrs).
Previously, Goffin had delivered a brilliant performance at the start. The seventh place on the world rankings, who only failed in last week’s ATP season finale at the final on Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, did not leave Lucas Pouille with a chance.
“He would have won the season finale with this level,” said Pouille, acknowledging after the match,”at the moment he’s playing tennis for the rest of his life,” even his biggest weapon remained blunt against Goffin. But he returns 30 centimetres to the baseline,”says the defeated Frenchman,” even number 18 in the ranking.
While the French have been waiting for the tenth Davis Cup title in 16 years, the neighbours are playing for their first victory in the history of the traditional team competition.
Without Goffin, who defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on his way to the finals in London, Belgium had defeated Germany in the first round in Frankfurt. For the Belgians it is the second Davis Cup final after 2015 (1:3 against Great Britain).