Wins for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet put France on the cusp of a first Davis Cup final since 2010 after Friday’s opening rubbers in the semi-final against defending champions the Czech Republic.
Playing at the French Open base of Roland Garros in Paris, French number one Tsonga coasted to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over Lukas Rosol following Gasquet’s upset 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory over top Czech player Tomas Berdych.
A win in Saturday’s doubles will be enough to ensure that the French reach the final where they would play either Switzerland or Italy, who are contesting the other semi-final in Geneva.
“I am very proud of the way they played today,” French captain Arnaud Clement said of his players.
“For Richard it was perhaps the best match he has played in the Davis Cup and he chose right moment to do it.
“Bravo to both of them and we are well-placed this evening, but we still have a long way to go.”
Tsonga won five games in a row from 2-2 in the first set to pull clear of Rosol, who was chosen ahead of veteran campaigner Radek Stepanek.
He stayed in total control of the match in the second set despite some big-hitting from Rosol and, when he broke again in the fourth game of the third set, there was no way back for the outgunned Czech.
“All merit goes to Richard who gave me the perfect platform. He played an extraordinary match and that helped me to win mine.
“But they won’t give in as easy as that so we have to stay focussed and play a great match.”
The Czechs are seeking a third straight Davis Cup title, while France are aiming for a first win in the annual team competition since 2001.
Gasquet, who was chosen ahead of recent US Open semi-finalist Gael Monfils, took control early on against Berdych in front of a packed Philippe Chatrier centre-court and he pocketed the first set 6-3 with a superb backhand drive down the line.
And it was the power of the Gasquet backhand again that led to the world number six Czech dropping serve twice in a row at the start of the second set.
The Czech team spearhead claimed one of those breaks back to get to 3-1 but Gasquet held firm and broke again to take the set 6-2.
Berdych held serve to open the third set but he was broken to love two games later as an on-fire Gasquet continued to dominate on the claycourt.
Gasquet had two match points in the ninth game and a double-fault from Berdych on the second of those gave the French a crucial opening point.
“I had a lot of pressure, but the crowd was unbelievable,” said Gasquet.
“I didn’t shut it out, I tried to hear it. The atmosphere is incredible. Court Philippe Chatrier is built for the Davis Cup.”
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SPECS
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Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
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Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
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Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
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Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
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Investors: Privately/self-funded
Bahrain GP
Friday qualifying: 7pm (8pm UAE)
Saturday race: 7pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
WITHIN SAND
Director: Moe Alatawi
Starring: Ra’ed Alshammari, Adwa Fahd, Muhand Alsaleh
Rating: 3/5
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
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Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
The Witcher - season three
Director: Various
Stars: Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra
Rating: 3/5
A Little to the Left
Developer: Max Inferno
Consoles: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Rating: 4/5
Common symptoms of MS
- Fatigue
- numbness and tingling
- Loss of balance and dizziness
- Stiffness or spasms
- Tremor
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- Vision problems
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MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Champion v Champion (PFL v Bellator)
Heavyweight: Renan Ferreira v Ryan Bader
Middleweight: Impa Kasanganay v Johnny Eblen
Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo v Patricio Pitbull
Catchweight: Ray Cooper III v Jason Jackson
Showcase Bouts
Heavyweight: Bruno Cappelozza (former PFL World champ) v Vadim Nemkov (former Bellator champ)
Light Heavyweight: Thiago Santos (PFL title contender) v Yoel Romero (Bellator title contender)
Lightweight: Clay Collard (PFL title contender) v AJ McKee (former Bellator champ)
Featherweight: Gabriel Braga (PFL title contender) v Aaron Pico (Bellator title contender)
Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh (pro debut) v Emmanuel Palacios (pro debut)
Women’s Lightweight: Claressa Shields v Kelsey DeSantis
Featherweight: Abdullah Al Qahtani v Edukondal Rao
Amateur Flyweight: Malik Basahel v Vinicius Pereira
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Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
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Don’ts
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Brief scores:
Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)
England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)
Result: Scotland won by six runs
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)