Melbourne: France will clash against Belgium on November 24-26 in the Davis Cup final after defeating Serbia. Belgium defeated Australia.
The teams from the neighbouring countries are again in the running for a title after two years, with France coached by Yannick Noah returning to title play three years after falling to Switzerland in the semi-finals in Lille’s Pierre Maouroy stadium, reports Efe.
France are looking to notch up their 10th win in this year’s Davis Cup competition thanks to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s victory over Dusan Lajovic.
After an even-handed first day of play at Lille, France managed to win the doubles elimination round, with Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hughes Herbert the victors, raising the country’s point total to 2-1 and earning a finals berth.
France will serve as the “home” team against Belgium, who on Saturday won their doubles match and then added to that triumph by downing Australia on Sunday at Brussels.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, his country’s great hope, was unable to bring the team into another final. David Goffin and Steve Darcis won the semi-finals doubles round, sealing Belgium’s return to a Davis Cup final.
Goffin’s play was decisive, beating Kyrgios 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 and 6-4, and after that 77th-ranked Darcis downed Jordan Thompson 6-4, 7-5 and 6-2.
A shattered Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has said his young team will be better for their heartbreaking semi-final loss to Belgium and backed them to bounce back quickly from the disappointment.
Chasing their first appearance in the final since winning the 2003 title, Australia led 2-1 heading into the final singles in Brussels on Sunday but Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson met their match against David Goffin and Steve Darcis.
Hewitt said he could not fault the effort of his players in front of a parochial home crowd on clay courts, their least-preferred surface, but as a member of the team that beat Spain in the 2003 title-decider, he was still crushed by the defeat.
“You come here to get the result. It’s a bit raw at the moment,” the two-time grand slam champion told reporters. “Everyone gave 100 per cent. We left it all out there. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less.
“It’s disappointing, but I’ve told the boys, if it hurts it’s because it means something.
“These boys take a lot of pride wearing the green and gold and will bounce back.”
With Bernard Tomic overlooked for the tie amid a deep form slump, Hewitt sprung a couple of selection surprises over the weekend, neither of which paid off.
After including the in-form Thanasi Kokkinakis in his squad, Hewitt ignored the young talent and plumped for 183rd-ranked John Millman, who lost the opening singles to Goffin on Friday.
Millman played well in defeat to Goffin but was discarded in favour of 69th-ranked Jordan Thompson, who duly lost to Darcis on Sunday.
“It was always going to be the case for a long time [to play Thompson on Sunday], so nothing in our plans changed,” Hewitt said, defending the decision.
