The Blues owe one to Arthur Rinderknech. Or rather two. Of the three points necessary and collected by the French team, the French number one in the ATP picked up two points against Slovakia in the first qualifying round of the Davis Cup (3-1).
If he concluded the affair in two sets against Alex Molcan (200th), “Rinder” had to erase a break behind and overturn a poorly started tie-break in the second set to glean this decisive point and close the confrontation in the best of five matches (7-5, 7-6 [6]). Earlier this Sunday, the pair composed of Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hughes Herbert had placed the selection of Paul-Henri Mathieu in the lead for the first time this weekend.
They like Canada
Before this single double, won against the duo Milos Karol-Lukas Klein (6-2, 6-3), the French debut had been as difficult as those of Alexandre Müller, defeated for his first cap in the French team (6-4, 6-4), despite the gap which separated him from Molcan at the ATP – 49th against 200th.
The gulf was even more yawning between Rinderknech (31st) and Norbert Gombos (300th). The native of Var had, for his part, enforced the hierarchy (7-6 [1]7-6 [6]) to equalize, Saturday.
This Sunday, the leader of the Blues returned to the tie-break box. Each time, he showed himself to be nervously solid. Thanks to him, France will face Canada, defeater of Brazil (3-2). After Portel (Pas-de-Calais), the Tricolores will play the second qualifying round away in September. With the hope of reaching the “Final 8” and trying to erase the failure in the quarter-finals in 2025 against Belgium.
