TENNIS – 2014 Davis Cup. Germany has surprised France on day 1 of the World Group quarter final taking a 2-0 lead. In the first singles match Tobias Kamke defeated Julien Benneteau and the second match of the day Peter Gojowczyk beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Simone Kemler
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga aimed to steady the ship following Julien Benneteau’s opening rubber defeat to Germany’s Tobias Kamke and put France back on course for a place in its third Davis Cup by BNP Paribas semifinal in five years in Nancy. Tsonga took on world No. 119 Peter Gojowczyk for the first time in the second rubber, with the German hoping to spring the second upset of the day after Tobias Kamke’s 7-6(8) 6-3 6-2 triumph over Benneteau in the opening match.
However, Peter Gojowczyk fought the match of his life and caused more than a few problems for Tsonga, having extended world No. 1 Rafael Nadal to three sets in reaching his first Tour-level semifinal at Doha earlier this year. In a tennis fight that lasted over four hours, Gojowczyk claimed victory in five sets 7-5 6-7(3) 7-6(8) 6-8 being shaken with heavy cramps throughout most of the final set. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga again and again tried to take the lead in set five and whenever it was necessary he produced aces to save his neck and repelled the first two German match points. Though Tsonga also had breakpoints in set five he could not take on a solid lead and so opened the door for a unique victory that reminded some of the fans of the legendary match Lendl vs Chang in Paris.
Earlier that day Benneteau had taken to court for just his second appearance in a live singles rubber, and had reason to be confident of securing a result. The 32-year-old world No. 50 had never lost to Kamke, ranked No. 96, in three previous meetings. So much for a foregone conclusion. Benneteau, in the midst of a purple patch in the 32-year-old’s career, was supposed to make short work of Kamke, promoted to No. 1 in the German team in the absence of Philipp Kohlschreiber, Florian Mayer and Tommy Haas.
But Davis Cup by BNP Paribas being what it is – a competition where victory is only ever won on the court, never on paper – Kamke won 7-6(8) 6-3 6-2 to give the visitors an unexpected lead in their quarterfinal against France at the Palais Des Sports Jean Weille. Those two victories were without doubt the biggest wins of the world No. 96’s and No. 119’s careers and so increase the pressure of the French team that now has to win the doubles match in order to stay in the competition.
