This is the third time that the French triumph in Fed Cup. Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia took France to victory in the 2019 Fed Cup final against Australia on Sunday (November 10th) in Perth, Australia, winning the deciding double against world number one Ashleigh Barty and Samantha Stosur (6-4, 6-3).
This victory, from the first campaign of their captain Julien Benneteau, comes to complete the season of reunion between Caroline Garcia and her teammates.
The new captain, interviewed at the end of the match, said: "I am the most proud man on the planet!"
Reconciliation sealed on the court
Before arriving at the captaincy, Caroline Garcia had not set foot in the French team since the defeat in the final in 2016 (3-2 against the Czech Republic). It was followed by a quarrel with her teammates, including Kristina Mladenovic, after the best French then decided to give priority to his career.
"It's very emotional to share this with Caroline," said Mladenovic. To permanently seal their reconciliation, the two players were lying side by side on the court after the match ball.
THEY'VE DONE IT!
Congratulations to France who are 2019 Fed Cup champions! 🇫🇷 🏆 # TousEnsemBleu #FedCupFinal pic.twitter.com/IVtmqfry8o
The feat against Ashleigh Barty
Caroline Garcia has done a lot for the Blue in the previous two rounds this season. Two points in singles in Belgium in the first round. Two points, one in singles, the other in doubles in semifinal against Romania of Simona Halep. But it was Kristina Mladenovic who carried the Blues throughout the weekend of the final.
In the wake of her hasty victory against No. 2 Australian Ajla Tomljanovic (6-1, 6-1), "Kiki" has signed one of the most resounding feats of her career by toppling the world number 1 on her lands on Sunday. morning, after a fight of more than two and a half hours.
"This is one of the strongest moments of my career," admits Kristina Mladenovic.
Irresistible the day before a Caroline Garcia choked (6-0, 6-0) in 56 minutes, Barty is perfectly entered the match, with four aces in his first two service games and a break from entry, to lead 3 -0. So that at that moment, she had not lost any game of the final.
However, Mladenovic did not give up and, after discarding a 5-3 ball in the second set, equalized by winning his match; returning for France to a round everywhere.
Winning formula
In this end of high voltage match, "Kiki" served for the win of the match after a break at 5-4. But she knew the same fate at the worst moment. In the decisive game, however, she left no chance to Barty, who has scored more than one point and ended up paying 47 fouls.
As in the semi-finals, the duplicate association Mladenovic-Garcia has found the resources to conquer the point of victory in the Fed Cup, whose formula will change from next season.
A scenario at the end of the world that recalls the triumph of their male counterparts in the Davis Cup in 2001. In Melbourne, the Blues had also overcome Australia and a world number 1, Lleyton Hewitt, on the same score . Three wins to two.
With AFP