By Chris Oddo | Sunday November 25, 2018
Marin Cilic defeated Lucas Pouille in straight sets to clinch the Davis Cup title for Croatia over France.
Photo Source: AP
Marin Cilic and Croatia would not take no for an answer.
Now they are Davis Cup champions for the second time in history and the first time since 2005.
Cilic tackled nerves and sailed past France’s Lucas Pouille, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3 to complete his nation’s 4-1 victory over Les Bleus and send his Croatian mates to ecstasy on Sunday in Lille.
“It’s not every day that you become a world champion,” Cilic said after the match. “For us it’s a dream come true—for this nation, you can see the fans, they are so passionate.”
It was an all-out team effort for Croatia, which did not surrender a break of serve in its three singles rubbers. Cilic did not face a break point on Sunday against Pouille and converted three of 12 to take command of his second career meeting with the Frenchman.
Croatia wins its first Davis Cup title since 2005—it had last reached the final in 2016 when Cilic suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Juan Martin del Potro in reverse singles.
He squandered a two sets to love lead in the fourth rubber before Federico Delbonis clinched Argentina’s first ever Davis Cup title.
France was bidding to become the first nation to repeat as champions since the Czech Republic in 2013, but could not complete the second comeback from 0-2 down in Davis Cup final history. On Saturday Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut had given the French a slim chance by taking a tight four-set doubles rubber, but on Sunday Cilic gave Pouille and the French no hope.
The victory was bittersweet for fans of the competition, no matter where their allegiances lay. 2018 marks the final year of the competition’s traditional format, as the International Tennis Federation has elected to radically change the framework of the competition, eliminating best-of-five set matches and creating a final weekend that features 18 teams and round robin play at a neutral site.
Many feel that competition will never be the same again.
Today in Lille it was far from the minds of the players on the court. France was devastated in defeat—Croatia was on cloud nine as they circled the trophy while their traveling throngs of supporters ardently cheered.