FRANCE 3, GREAT BRITAIN 0 Kindarena, Rouen, France (Indoor Clay) Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut overcame Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot 7-6(7), 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 on Saturday to secure France's place in the Davis Cup semi-finals. The French duo gave Les Bleus an unassailable 3-0 lead in their quarter-final tie with Great Britain, surging into the semis for the fifth time in eight years. They advanced when a Murray backhand volley clipped the tape off a Mahut lob, improving to 6-1 in their last seven home ties. Despite the absence of stalwarts Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet, France dropped just one set in reaching the last four, including straight-set victories for Lucas Pouille and Jeremy Chardy on Friday....
It's as if they do this together every week. Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut, playing together for the first time since 2012, won the Open 13 Marseille doubles title on Sunday. The top seeds prevailed 6-4, 6-7(9), 10-5 against Dutchman Robin Haase and Brit Dominic Inglot, who were going for their first team doubles crown. “When Julien asked me to play with him I immediately said yes. For me, this victory is very important and it means a lot,” Mahut said. Benneteau/Mahut won nearly 80 per cent of their first-serve points and saved four of six break points faced. Years ago, the two were a consistent pairing on the ATP World Tour. They won two titles together – 2003...
Nicolas Mahut rode a wave of home-crowd support to upset fifth-seeded #NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev at the Open 13 Marseille on Tuesday. The 35-year-old Frenchman posted a 7-6(5), 7-6(5) result over the German in the pair’s first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. Zverev, nearly 16 years his opponent’s junior, had claimed his second ATP World Tour title two weeks ago at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. He fell short despite hitting six aces more and winning half of the 144 points played. Mahut's victory sets up a second-round meeting with Norbert Gombos. The Slovak posted a 6-1, 6-1 result over fellow-qualifier Evgeny Donskoy. Richard Gasquet continued a good night session for the home contingent when he knocked out Robin...
AUSTRALIA 3, CZECH REPUBLIC 0 Venue: Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, Melbourne, AUS (hard - outdoor) Australia has taken an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic following Saturday's doubles victory for Sam Groth and John Peers. The Aussie duo defeated Jan Satral and Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 30 minutes, firing 11 aces. The 28-time champion Aussie squad has not dropped a set through three matches, including singles routs by Jordan Thompson and Nick Kyrgios on Friday. Played at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, former venue of the Australian Open, Groth and Peers powered their nation into its second World Group quarter-final in three years. They will face either Switzerland or the United States next. "It...
Watch highlights of top seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert moving into the doubles quarter-finals at the 2017 Australian Open. Video courtesy Tennis Australia. Getty Images photo.