MADRID, 13 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spain took the lead on Friday against France in their second Davis Cup qualifying round, Group B of which is being hosted by Valencia, after Roberto Bautista beat Arthur Fils in almost three hours by 2-6, 7-5 and 6-3.
The team captained by David Ferrer faced their second match with the cushion of their positive debut, where they beat the Czech Republic 3-0, and the team from Jávea repeated the formation with Bautista opening fire and Carlos Alcaraz supporting. And then, the Murcian in theory will accompany Marcel Granollers to round off their ticket to the next round in the doubles.
However, things did not start well at the Fuente de San Luis Pavilion, with Bautista dominated by a Fils team that had a shaky hand at the most inopportune moment for them. The first point of this match, crucial for the French team after losing three days ago in their debut against Australia, already foreshadowed a tough encounter.
More than 15 minutes of battle ended in favor of the 20-year-old Frenchman. Although he did not maintain that advantage because Bautista replied in the next game, in the exchange of breaks the Castellón native finally came out the loser, as he gave up his serve for the second time and his opponent did not waste it anymore because he was raising his level.
Fils was superior with more aggressiveness in his strokes and, with a third break, made everything uphill. The Castellón native tried to recover and finally took the lead at the start of the next set, a short-lived joy because his performance was not sustained and the Frenchman continued to be damaging. Thus, Fils broke early and regained the initiative.
Bautista did not let go until he was 4-5 down and had to return. That was when the so-called ‘magic’ of Davis appeared at the Fonteta and all the good things Fils had done turned into errors, giving up his serve and entering a negative inertia that condemned him to the set, having lost four games in a row.
The tricks came into play, such as Fils being treated on his right leg by the physiotherapist after, ‘a priori’, not having asked the chair umpire for assistance. The start of the third set was great, with the arena in fervor while another of Bautista’s now usual Davis Cup comebacks was in the making.
The Castellón native saved a break point at the start of the set and later, in the fourth game, he wasted a 0-40 on return. The Frenchman’s aim was no longer excellent, but he withstood the attacks of his opponent in communion with the Fonteta stands.
Having resolved some tense moments in the long fifth game (3-2), the Spaniard kept his distance (4-3) and in the eighth he put pressure on an overpowered Fils in key shots. After completing a jubilant break for the entire stadium, the local player prepared to serve and without hesitation he tied the match at love for the final 6-3.