2 Responses to daviscup01france_australia

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 5, 2025 at 4:34 pm

   Points won by each set: | 45-39, 47-51, 40-33, 27-17 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   48 % Escude – 70 of 144
   38 % Arthurs – 60 of 155

   Similar situation to the Davis Cup 1996 finals: in 1996 Edberg, in 2001 Rafter – so players who were finishing their careers – didn’t enter the court in the decisive fifth rubber against France due to injuries (ankle and arm respectively), potentially facing players whom could have been expected to defeat (Edberg led 10:1 against Boetsch, Rafter 4:0 against Escude). Their substitutes played surprisingly good matches in front of the home crowds, but it wasn’t enough to make an upset. I’d say that Arthurs [77] was a lighter underdog than Kulti five years before, because the Australian was fresh not playing doubles, and generally when he had a good service day as well as luck with some accidental shots in crucial moments, he was able to beat the best players in the world. No breaks in the opening two sets which was quite typical for Arthurs’ matches on faster surfaces. Pivotal moment of that encounter came as the Frenchman led 2:1* (15/40) in the 3rd set – it seemed like another routine service hold for Arthurs, yet the Australian missed a forehand volley from a position he should have enjoyed a winner, and it proved to be costly – he was finally broken for the first time, after 5 deuces in that game (prior to that moment he’d fought off 10 break points in three games). Escude held at 4:2 and 5:3 saving break points. In the 4th set Arthurs led 3:2* when happened something unexpected given the progress of a very tight contest – Escude [27] easily won four games in a row, converting his second match point with a backhand passing-shot DTL. His backhand (especially down the line) belonged to the best ones at the turn of the centuries, that particular shot certainly helped him to break Arthurs’ lethal serve three times. “We took a risk in doubles and it didn’t work, but it was a risk we had to take,” Rafter explained Fitzgerald’s decision to appoint the Hewitt/Rafter combo instead of Arthurs/Woodbridge on Saturday. “I knew I probably only had one more match left in me so we decided to go for it… but it didn’t come off.” Certainly it wasn’t easy to expect that Pioline, who was rarely playing doubles as opposed to three other players on the court, would be the best on that day. The Escude-Arthurs serve-fest meeting of Babolat Pure-Drive models it’s the last serve-and-volley match in the Davis Cup finals, a “pure” serve-and-volley match I can add – no rally from the back of the court in 299 points they contested. Due to bad weather they played under the roof.

   FRANCE d. AUSTRALIA 3-2 Melbourne Park, Victoria, Australia: Grass (semi-indoors)
   Nicolas Escude (FRA) d. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
   Patrick Rafter (AUS) d. Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 6-3, 7-6(6), 7-5
   Cedric Pioline / Fabrice Santoro (FRA) d. Lleyton Hewitt / Patrick Rafter (AUS) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-1
   Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) d. Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
   Nicolas Escude (FRA) d. Wayne Arthurs (AUS) 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3

   

   From left: Fabrice Santoro, Sebastien Grosjean, Cedric Pioline, Nicolas Escude, Arnaud Clement (alternate) & Guy Forget (captain)

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   February 5, 2025 at 5:08 pm

   France’s route to the title (all abroad!): Belgium 5-0, Switzerland 3-2, Netherlands 3-2, Australia 3-2

   Points for the team:
   5 – Nicolas Escude
   3.5 – Arnaud Clement
   2.5 – Fabrice Santoro
   1.5 – Cedric Pioline
   1 – Sebastien Grosjean

   Escude saved a match point which could’ve eliminated France against Switzerland as he defeated Bastl 1-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4, 8-6 in the fifth rubber

   France won the cup for the third time within ten years, always with Forget’s involvement:
   1991 – leader in singles
   1996 – doubles helper
   2001 – captain

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