Thanasi Kokkinakis’ surprise win sees Australia beat France in crucial Davis Cup tie

Australia have made a flying start in their quest for a 29th Davis Cup, now in their third decade.

World number 78 Thanasi Kokkinakis got Lleyton Hewitt’s side on track with a narrow win over Arthur Fils, but Alexei Popyrin came up against an inspired Ugo Humbert.

This means that the match, the first of the group stage in Valencia, Spain, will be played as a double.

Max Purcell and Matt Ebden delivered the goods by beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in three tight sets, 7-5 5-7 6-3.

With Spain and the Czech Republic to come, it was a crucial result for an Australian side watched on the sidelines by Australia number one Alex de Minaur, whose hip injury kept him out.

Kokkinakis had given Australia the ideal start by beating world number 24 Fils 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3).

Kokkinakis came back from 4-2 down in the second set, saving a series of break points to force a tie-break.

A brilliant backhand return was a key shot.

“If I don’t manage it, I don’t think I’ll come back after being down twice in the second set,” said Kokkinakis, ranked 86th in the world.

Kokkinakis said he stepped up his preparation when he saw in New York that de Minaur was still recovering from the hip injury he suffered at Wimbledon, realising he could start.

“After watching Alex at the US Open, I knew he wasn’t 100% and he was struggling, so I changed my focus. I thought, ‘I have to be ready here. I have to have a little more determination when I train.’”

“Lleyton trusted me to go out there, do the job and give my best and I’m very happy with how it’s gone.”

With Popyrin beating Novak Djokovic, Australia looked set to take a 2-0 lead. But Popyrin came up against an inspired Humbert.

The French world number 17 crushed Popyrin 6-3 6-2, with the second set lasting less than half an hour.

Humbert won 80 percent of his first serve points, Popyrin less than 60. Humbert forced his opponent into 23 errors and hit 16 winners, Popyrin hit five.

That means the doubles have become the deciding match, with Purcell, doubles champion with Jordan Thompson at Flushing Meadows, reprising his 2022 Wimbledon winning partnership with doubles veteran Ebden.

The match started badly for France, with Herbert not only double-faulting on his first serve, but also sending his serve to his teammate. However, France managed to save a break point and hold on, and the set ended 6-5.

Ebden then unveiled three successive passes to break Roger-Vasselin and win the first set.

The second game followed a similar pattern with a brilliant lob from Purcell earning the latter a match break point at 5-4.

But this time Herbert held firm and then broke Ebden.

Australia hit back by breaking immediately in the third set to take a 3-0 lead. Four holds later, Purcell was serving for the match. He trailed 0-30 but equalised, but double-faulted.

The Australians saved the break point and, after the third match point, Purcell settled the problem with an ace.

“I knew if I could hit a couple of good serves it was all over, and luckily I did,” Purcell said.

Hewitt, who was part of the last Australian team to win the Davis Cup in 2003, said on court: “When you see these boys go for it in a doubles match it gives you a lot of confidence, they’ve done it the last two years for us and they’ve done it again.”

PAA