Croatia and France close to sealing Davis Cup final places

Published by Reuters

Marin Cilic celebrates after winning against Frances Tiafoe in Zadar; Getty Images
A one-sided first day of action sees Croatia and France take command of the Davis Cup semifinals.

Croatia and France are on track to play in the last Davis Cup final under the current format after dominating the opening day in their semifinals.

Defending champions France lead Spain 2-0 in Lille, while Croatia also took a 2-0 lead against the USA in Zadar.

The match between Marin Cilic of Croatia and American Frances Tiafoe was umpired by Carlos Ramos – the official accused of sexism by Serena Williams after he docked her a game during the tumultuous US Open final against Naomi Osaka.

NEWS: Nadal absence ‘changes everything’

Thankfully for Ramos this match was a more tranquil affair, as Cilic scored a 6-1 6-3 7-6 (5) win to put the hosts 2-0 ahead.

Cilic overwhelmed the American youngster in the opening two sets but was made to work harder in the third as Tiafoe finally shook off his debut nerves.

Cilic’s victory made him Croatia’s most successful Davis Cup player, moving him past the 36 rubbers won by Ivan Ljubicic.

Earlier, Borna Coric gave Croatia a flying start by defeating Steve Johnson 6-4 7-6(4) 6-3 in the opening rubber.

Coric had lost his only previous encounter with the US number three at Roland Garros but on Zadar’s clay courts the 21-year-old drew first blood for the hosts against Johnson, who is leading his country in the absence of John Isner and Jack Sock.

The United States, the event’s most successful nation, now face an uphill battle to reach the last final of the Davis Cup to be played in its traditional format before next year’s revamp.

QUIZ: Tennis stars and their first titles

In the other semifinal, defending champions France are just one win away from a chance to go back-to-back.

Benoit Paire made a remarkable debut for France, outplaying an injured Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5 6-1 6-0 in the opening rubber in under two hours.

French No.1 Lucas Pouille then battled from behind to beat Roberto Bautista Agut in a classic five-setter 3-6 7-6(5) 6-4 2-6 6-4 in three hours 41 minutes.

France’s captain Yannick Noah praised his two opening-day victors, saying Pouille had again “dug deep”, while Paire played a match “of his dreams”.

Paire had never been selected for his country before, admitting himself that his explosive, erratic performances on court meant he could previously never properly be trusted.

“I’ve waited a long time for this and it’s a dream to win on my debut,” said Paire.

“Though it’s been a long time, hopefully it’s not too late for me and I’ll get more chances.”

Share this: 
  • Most popular articles

14 August 2017

Sharapova quotes Serena: “I will never lose to that li...

Maria Sharapova has opened up in her memoir Unstoppable, revealing her take on how Serena ... More

7 November 2016

20 Questions: Andy Murray

Double Wimbledon champion, double Olympic champion and now world No.1. But what doesn't An... More

9 January 2018

ATP: the biggest strength and weakness of every top 10 playe...

As the first Grand Slam of the season fast approaches, top-10 players are leading the char... More

8 June 2016

Pro tips: successfully changing surfaces

Transitioning between surfaces can be one of the biggest challenges in the game. Understan... More