By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, April 8, 2017
Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut won the doubles pointing sending France into the Davis Cup semifinals for the third time in the last four years.
Photo credit: Davis Cup
France took fans on a thrill ride culminating with Les Bleus landing in the Davis Cup semifinals.
French veterans Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut outdueled Dominic Inglot and Jamie Murray, 7-6 (7), 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, to give the host an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Great Britain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.
More: Sock and Johnson Keep America Alive
The victory vaults France into the final four for the third time in the last four years.
Continuing its quest for its first Davis Cup championship since 2001, nine-time champion France will host Serbia in the September 15-17th Davis Cup semifinals.
In Belgrade, player-captain Nenad Zimonjic and Viktor Troicki fought off Pablo Carreno Busta and Marc Lopez, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, in three hours, 14 minutes to stake Serbia to an unassailable 3-0 lead over visiting Spain.
Troicki, who swept Carreno Busta in yesterday's second singles match, was the Davis Cup hero the last time Serbia played France.
In the 2010 final, Troicki defeated France's Michael Llodra, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3, in the decisive fifth match to clinch Serbia's first Davis Cup championship.
A thrilling three hour, 20-minute battle featured all-court play on the red clay of Rouen.
The 35-year-old Mahut, who partnered Benneteau to win the Marseille title earlier this season, went flying into the stands at one point to retrieve a smash—then hit a scrambling shot while bouncing into the crowd.
That circus shot came three hours, seven minutes into the match after Inglot plunked Murray in the head with this return during the first-set tie break.
Lucas Pouille and Jeremy Chardy both scored straight-sets wins yesterday staking France to a 2-0 lead over 2015 champion Great Britain, which was without world No. 1 Andy Murray.