By Tennis Now | Sunday, April 8, 2018
Lucas Pouille rallied for a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3 triumph over Italy's Fabio Fognini, sealing France's trip to its third straight Davis Cup semifinal.
Photo credit: Davis Cup Facebook
Ninety-one years had passed since France last won a Davis Cup tie on Italian soil.
Lucas Pouille wasn't daunted by historical data.
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The man who clinched France's 2017 Davis Cup championship played the role of rousing closer again today.
Pouille rallied for a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3 triumph over Fabio Fognini on the red clay of Genoa give France an insurmountable 3-1 lead over host Italy, sealing the defending champion's trip to its third straight Davis Cup semifinal.
The French No. 1 rifled a forehand winner down the line to close a three hour conquest.
“I think I was more consistent over the match," Pouille told DavisCup.com afterward. "I had a tough first set but I kept trying and was playing better and better and it was a great effort to come back and win this one.”
Pouille pounded the Fognini second serve, breaking seven times to beat the Italian No. 1 for the second time in four meetings.
The 24-year-old Frenchman accounted for two of France's three points in the tie, scoring a five-set victory over Andreas Seppi to open the quarterfinal.
“There is always pressure on Davis Cup," Pouille said. "You want to do well for your friends, family, fans and all the team and that’s why it leaves this spicy taste in the Davis Cup.
“We knew that before coming here it would be a tough tie but we gave our best and now we are going to try and defend our title.”
Top-seeded France advances to the September 14-16th semifinal where it will play either five-time Davis Cup champion Spain or Germany.