ITF

22 ITFWORLD WINTER 2017 Mahut had won all three doubles rubbers played during 2017 to help France reach its 18th Davis Cup final with wins over Japan, Great Britain and Serbia but, snubbed for the showpiece tie, he managed his heartbreak admirably. A staunch supporter on the French bench all weekend, he was on his feet, bellowing encouragement, though his tears at the opening ceremony during a passionate rendition of La Marseillaise lifted the lid on his inner angst. "It was a very difficult decision," admitted Noah. "It was the worst thing to tell someone who believes he's playing, 'Come to my room, I have to talk to you.' But you have to put that aside. Even though we're friends, sometimes you have to make tough decisions." Clinical wins for France and Belgium's top singles players on the opening day — David Goffin ending a three-match losing streak against Pouille to win 75 63 61 and Tsonga gliding past Darcis 63 62 61 — elevated the importance of the doubles rubber, and Noah might've felt more than a little nervous when Gasquet and Herbert, playing together for the first time at tour- level, trailed in the third set. Herbert had switched to the right flank to accommodate Gasquet, despite playing on the left side throughout his three-year partnership with Mahut, and the pair looked in real peril when Belgium served for a 2-1 lead at 5-3 in the third set. But the visitors tensed up and, surprisingly, it was not Joris De Loore, playing his first competitive match since undergoing knee surgery in September, who faltered, but Ruben Bemelmans, who was left to rue a weak service game that handed back Belgium's golden opportunity. In that game, the momentum of the doubles rubber — and the tie — swung France's way, and the brilliant Herbert went on to serve out the final game of a 61 36 76(2) 64 victory with a little help from one particular man courtside. "In the last game [Mahut] told me, 'you play one kick serve', and I did it at 15-0, did an amazing ace," Herbert revealed. Gasquet, Herbert (and Mahut's) rousing doubles display left Belgium on the brink but then came the imperious Goffin, who dismantled Tsonga in Sunday's first reverse singles rubber with another sublime showing that's become characteristic of his Davis Cup and tour displays of late. Brimming with confidence following wins over both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals in London a week earlier, the world No. 7 fended off six break points in a thrilling 74-minute DAVIS CUP BY BNP PARIBAS " Four points, four different guys... it's beautiful." - Yannick Noah Captain Yannick Noah celebrates Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert's doubles win Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore discuss tactics The French team with the trophy Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in action

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