By Tennis Now | Friday, September 21, 2018
Defending champion France will return to Lille to host Croatia in the Davis Cup final set for November 23-25th.
Photo credit: Corinne Dubreuil/Davis Cup Facebook
France will defend the Davis Cup on fertile championship soil.
France will host Croatia in the November 23-25th Davis Cup final beneath a closed roof at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, the International Tennis Federation announced today.
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It's the second straight year and third time in the last five years Lille will host the Davis Cup final.
The French Tennis Federation is expected to announce the surface for the final within the next week.
Last November, Lucas Pouille dominated Steve Darcis from start to finish, emerging with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 victory to clinch France's 3-2 win over Belgium and set off a wild celebration in Lille as the host claimed its first Davis Cup since 2001.
Croatia has not lost a Davis Cup road tie since being swept by host Serbia in its 2015 World Group opener.
This will be the third meeting between the two nations.
The home team has prevailed in both of their previous encounters.
France was a 4-1 victor in the 2004 World Group first round clash in Metz.
Croatia avenged that loss with a 3-2 victory in the 2016 semifinals. Marin Cilic carried Croatia winning two singles matches and partnering Ivan Dodig to win doubles.
Contesting its third Davis Cup final, Croatia is playing for its first Davis Cup since it topped host Slovakia, 3-2, in the 2005 final.
The Davis Cup final is a rematch of the World Cup final.
Contesting its 19th Davis Cup final, France is playing for its 11th Davis Cup.
In captain Yannick Noah's last tie, the host is playing to become the first nation since the Czech Republic in 2013 to successfully defend the Davis Cup.
In 2014, a record-breaking 27,448 fans were in Lille to see Roger Federer defeat Richard Gasquet, the largest crowd to ever watch a Davis Cup match, to clinch Switzerland's first Davis Cup.