QUÉBEC – The French duo of Benjamin Bonzi and Pierre-Hugues Herbert kept their nation’s hopes alive at the Davis Cup on Saturday, delivering a clinical 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime and Duncan Chan at the Videotron Centre.
Despite the setback, Canada maintains a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five second-round tie, with the pressure now squarely on the upcoming singles matches to decide which team will advance to the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, this November.
The doubles contest marked a rare moment of vulnerability for the 26-year-old Auger-Aliassime. The Montreal native saw his impressive 13-match Davis Cup winning streak come to a sudden end, a run that had included four consecutive victories in doubles play. For his partner, Duncan Chan of Markham, Ont., the match served as a high-stakes introduction to international competition, representing his first-ever appearance for Canada in the tournament.
The match was defined by precision and poise, with both teams comfortable on serve through the opening set. The turning point arrived in the tiebreaker, where the seasoned French pair utilized their extensive experience to dismantle the Canadian rhythm, sprinting out to a 6-0 lead. While Auger-Aliassime and Chan managed to narrow the gap to 6-4, the set concluded when a forehand from Chan clipped the net and dropped on the wrong side of the court.
France capitalized on that momentum in the second set. The match remained a deadlock through the first seven games, but Bonzi and Herbert secured a crucial break in the eighth, eventually closing out the set and the match to earn their second consecutive Davis Cup doubles win. For Herbert, a five-time Grand Slam doubles champion, the victory improves his career Davis Cup doubles record to an elite 16-3.
The French victory adds significant tension to what appeared to be a dominant Canadian weekend. Canada had surged to a 2-0 lead on Friday, powered by a hard-fought singles win from Auger-Aliassime over Quentin Halys, alongside a commanding performance by Liam Draxl of Newmarket, Ont., who defeated Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets.
With the tie now narrowed to 2-1, the focus shifts back to singles play. Auger-Aliassime is expected to return to the court later Saturday to face Rinderknech in the fourth rubber. If Rinderknech forces a deciding fifth match, Draxl will be tasked with closing out the tie against Halys to secure Canada’s passage to the Final 8.
As the crowd in Québec City prepares for the final showdowns, the French team will look to build on the confidence gained from their doubles success, while Canada looks to rely on the depth that propelled them to their 2022 Davis Cup championship.
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