Davis Cup: France close to tenth title

France have won the important doubles in the Davis Cup final – with a score of 2:1, the hosts are only missing a win for the tenth title.

In Lille on Saturday Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Ruben Bemelmans and Joris de Loore after 3:03 hours 6:1,3:6,7:6 (7:2), 6:4.

In the duel of the top players, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday (13.30 hrs) could already provide for the decision against Vice World Champion David Goffin. If the Belgian wins, the match between Lucas Pouille and Steve Darcis would be followed by the decision in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy football stadium.

Favourites had prevailed at the start on Friday. Goffin, who only failed at last week’s ATP season finale in the final at Grigor Dimitrov in Bulgaria, beat Pouille 7-5,6-3,6-1. Tsonga won against Darci 6-3,6-2,6-1.

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 third Davis Cup final after 2015 (1:3 against Great Britain) and 1904 (0:5 against Great Britain).