The French tennis team may regret it on Sunday, September 17, after coming close to qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup. Against the British, favorites and carried home by a wave of supporters, the French were eventually eliminated after three contested and decisive matches.
In Manchester, Sébastien Grosjean’s side eventually lost in the deciding doubles despite a strong start and wasting four match points in the third set. Edouard Rodger-Vasselin and Nicolas Mahut won the first round with authority, giving the Blues hopes of a first quarter-final qualification since 2018. Dan Evans and Neil Skupski triumphed after two decisive games (1-6, 7-6, 7-6) and two hours and forty-eight minutes of fierce battle.
The French can come away stunned from a week full of twists and turns, where regret and bursts of hope intertwined. It started with a first singles disappointment, losing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Daniel Evans (27th in the world) to young Arthur Fils, 19, (44th in the world), but lasting. Calm and industrious up front, before pulling out the middle of the second sleeve.
The replacement of Adrian Mannarino, weakened by discomfort, initially looked like a winning bet: Sonny seemed to be in control of the game, the emotions and the opponent, albeit a better rated, more experienced 33-year-old and crowned the newly acquired. title in Washington, also on a hard court.
But the script changed midway through the second set. “He put some energy into it, and with the community and the new balls, things went very quickly.”commented the Ile-de-France resident, a newcomer to the top 50 ATP rankings.
Hugo Humbert’s victory
In second singles, Hugo Humbert (36th in the world) did wonders against Cameron Norris (17th in the world), who he calmly subdued in three sets 7-6, 3-6, 7-5, winning in the end. Suspension after two hours and forty-six minutes.
“It’s huge, so many emotions, I went through all the situations during the match, it’s completely crazy”, the 25-year-old left-hander was enjoying himself at the BeIN Sports microphone. He got over it “big hit” in the second round and “Crazy Noise” came from the stands “It was a great thrill”.
Elders Edouard Roger-Vasselin (39 years old) and Nicolas Mahut (41 years old), who were so close to qualification, unfortunately could not prolong the celebration. Discipline specialist Neil Skupski, winner of Wimbledon this summer, managed to turn the match around with his friend Dan Evans. The remainder of the Davis Cup will be written without the French, but with Great Britain, Canada, defending champions, outgoing finalists Australia and Serbia featuring world number one Novak Djokovic.
Source: Le Monde
Jason Root is a sports aficionado and a writer at Run Down Bulletin. With a passion for athletic competition and a wealth of knowledge on all things sports, he provides in-depth coverage of the biggest games and events in the world of sports.
