Defending champions France have earned a comfortable 2-0 lead over Spain in the Davis Cup semi-final. Debutant Benoit Paire and Lucas Pouille secured their team two undisputed victories.
Benoit Paire could not even imagine his debut in France’s Davis Cup team in his dreams. Already at the hymn, the otherwise so casual Frenchman overcame his feelings.
On the court the “enfant terrible” started a bit nervous and quickly fell behind Pablo Carreño Busta 3:5. Paire fought back with loud support at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Lille and celebrated a grandiose comeback. Paire should then lose only one of the following 17 games.
The man with the striking beard secured the first run with 7:5 and then burned down a firework of great winners. The Frenchman secured sets two and three with 6:1 and 6:0 and clinched his first victory in the national jersey. Carreño Busta was strong on the other side, but without a chance against his opponent’s brave and electrifying performance.
In the second duel for France, team captain Yannick Noah sent 24-year-old Lucas Pouille to the field. Last year, Pouille scored the decisive point to win the title for France. Now he faced the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Bautista Agut got off to a better start in the match and took the first round with powerful power tennis with 6:4, but Pouille did not take it, increased his playing level and fought back with a 7:6 (5). Shortly afterwards, the French hopeful managed to lead the set 6-4.
In Lille the two players did not give each other anything on the court, enraptured the spectators with high-class tennis and Bautista Agut placed with a 6:2 on 2:2 in the sets. In the fifth round both players had their chances and it was Pouille who started the final pinprick. At 4-4, the local hero managed the break and then served to win 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 2-6 and 6-4.
Pouille thus gave his team a comfortable 2-0 lead and the defending champion is on the verge of reaching the third Davis Cup final since 2014.