Perth (Australia) (AFP)

In full, the Blue raised their challenge at the end of the world by offering the Fed Cup on the Australian lands of World N.1 Ashleigh Barty, Sunday in Perth. A trophy that comes to complete the season of their reunion.

The French, tied (1-1) with the Australians after the first day, have imposed three wins to two after the double decisive, won by Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia, against Barty and Samantha Stosur (6-4 , 6-3).

This is the third crown of France in the Fed Cup, after 1997 and 2003. The team competition continues to resist Australia, more titrated for 45 years.

"To be able to do that with + Caro + (Garcia), it was written, it was the destiny, it's incredible that it happens in such a way, at the end of the suspense, it's a wonderful story," loose Mladenovic .

"The symbol is beautiful", abounds the French captain Julien Benneteau.

This triumph, from his first campaign, comes to reward his talents as conciliator to reunify and federate the players.

Before his arrival at the captaincy, Garcia had not set foot in the French team since the defeat in the final in 2016 (3-2 against the Czech Republic). Had followed a quarrel with his teammates, especially Mladenovic, after the best French then decided to focus on his career. She had even picked up an ironic triple "LOL" on social media when she had dropped out, injured, before the play-off against Spain in spring 2017.

- "Disputes and ego aside" -

So to see Mladenovic and Garcia lying on the court, one snuggled against the other, then the second head on the shoulder of the first, in tears, during the Marseillaise, we would have almost pinched to believe, so much such scenes seemed unimaginable even a year ago.

"Of course, a lot of things happened, but we were really there to get our dream together and we managed to put all our differences and our ego aside," says Garcia.

If the latter has done much for the Blue in the two previous rounds this season - two points in singles in Belgium, and two points, one in singles and doubles, in the semifinal against Romania Simona Halep-, it's Mladenovic who carried them throughout the weekend of the final.

In the wake of her speedy victory over Australian No.2 Ajla Tomljanovic (6-1, 6-1), "Kiki" signed one of her most resounding exploits by knocking down world No. 1 on her home turf more than 2h30 min of combat, in a rebounding duel.

"It's one of the strongest moments of my career," she admits.

A 3-0 to his disadvantage, Barty, irresistible the day before Garcia - 6-0, 6-0 in 56 minutes - still had not let slip any game of the final.

- Mladenovic and Garcia double decisive -

But Mladenovic did not give up and, after sidelining a 5-3 ball in the second set, equalized a round everywhere.

In a high-voltage end of the match, the French N.1 served for the win of the match after a white break, at 5-4. But she knew the opposite fate at the worst moment. In the decisive game, however, she left no chance for Barty, and the winner of the last Roland-Garros and the recent Masters ended up paying 47 fouls.

Pauline Parmentier (122), preferred to Garcia, French N.2 (45), for the fourth single, she never really threatened Tomljanovic (6-4, 7-5).

So, as in the semi-finals, it was the pair Mladenovic / Garcia who had to find the resources to conquer the point of the coronation, for the der of the classic formula of the Fed Cup with home / away and weekend meetings. competition ends punctuating the year.

A scenario at the end of the world that recalls the triumph of their male counterparts in the Davis Cup in 2001. In Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena, the Blues had also overcome Australia and a world No.1, in this case Lleyton Hewitt, on the same score.

© 2019 AFP