The 2017 Davis Cup will wrap up over a period of three days beginning Friday and ending Sunday. The finals feature France, going for its 10th title and first since 2001, and Belgium, led by David Goffin. Play begins at 8 a.m. ET on Friday from Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, France.
2017 Davis Cup final preview: Can David Goffin lead Belgium past France?
France is trying for its first Davis Cup win since 2001, while Belgium is looking for its first ever.
Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Goffin is the key name here, as he’s been playing unreal tennis to end the 2017 season. Goffin beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the ATP World Tour finals in London, though he fell to Grigor Dimitrov in the final of that tournament. Still, he will end 2017 as the No. 7 player in the world and boasts a 19-3 career record in the Davis Cup.
The problem is that he’s dealing with some injuries and the Belgium team isn’t nearly as deep as the French team, led by captain Yannick Noah. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Lucas Pouille, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and Nicolas Mahut are the top players for France, while Belguim’s Johan Van Herck helms a team that includes Goffin, Steve Darcis, Ruben Bemelmans, and Arthur De Greef.
The final consists of five matches: two singles matches Friday, a doubles match Saturday, and then two reverse singles matches Sunday. The French pairing of Herbert and Mahut are doubles specialists, meaning Belgium will likely depend on Goffin winning both of his singles matches while hoping Darcis can steal one from either Tsonga or Pouille.
Belgium has never won the Davis Cup and was runner-up to Great Britain in 2015. The final will be contested on a hard court. France holds a 4-3 edge over Belgium in the Davis Cup head to head over the years.
Goffin is the best player on either team, but Tsonga is likely to earn a win or two, while Pouille should as well, in addition to them being heavily favored in the doubles competition.
Below is all you need to know to follow along with the Davis Cup.
How to watch the Davis Cup
Location: Stade Pierre Mauroy, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France
Dates: Friday, Nov. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 26
Times: 8 a.m. (Friday), 9 a.m. (Saturday), 8:30 a.m. (Sunday)
TV: Tennis Channel
Online Streaming: Davis Cup, Tennis Channel Anywhere
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