Fabien Le Floc’h, Media365: published on Saturday February 7, 2026 at 9:24 p.m.
The French team is tied with Slovakia (1-1), after the first two singles matches of Davis Cup qualifying.
In the warm atmosphere of the Chaudron du Portel (Pas-de-Calais), the French team did not experience the Saturday it hoped for against Slovakia, during qualifying for the Davis Cup. After the first two singles, the French and the Slovaks are tied (1-1) and nothing is decided with the three matches scheduled for this Sunday (the doubles and the last two singles).
For his first selection for the French team, Alexandre Müller fell hard against Alex Molcan, losing in two sets (4-6, 4-6) and 1h26 of play, even if he had the feeling of not being able to do much more against the 200th player in the world. “I don’t particularly have many regrets. I gave everything, assured the 49th player in the world after the meeting at The Team. It was a first selection in a competition where experience can help, and above all it gave him a good match. Even if I am obviously sad that there is a defeat today for the first match, it will remain a memory engraved in my memory. »
“Great to finish in two sets”
After the defeat of Alexandre Müller, Arthur Rinderknech already had no room for error during the second match against Norbert Gombos, today 300th in the world and never ranked higher than 80th place. But at 35, the Slovak manhandled the French number one and got himself three balls of a set everywhere in the second set before finally losing, after two decisive games (7-6 [1]7-6 [6] in 2h15).
Enough to breathe a big sigh of relief before the decisive day on Sunday. “At the end, with the public getting excited, it’s great to finish in two sets and especially to put France back on level terms, one everywhere,” explained the 31st player in the world. It was important: when we entered the court at 0-1, we knew that it was better not to be at 0-2 tonight. » For the French team, it will be important to make the difference this Sunday during the doubles contested by the Herbert-Bonzi duo before the last two singles. Arthur Rinderknech is then expected to play the fourth match, although the captains will have the opportunity to choose until the last moment.
