Novak Djokovic swept past Gael Monfils on Sunday as Serbia levelled the Davis Cup final against France at 2-2.
Djokovic won 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in the first reverse singles of the best-of-five series.
Viktor Troicki of Serbia plays Michael Llodra in the decisive match later Sunday. Both players are reserve options to the originally announced Janko Tipsarevic and Gilles Simon.
The host is bidding to capture its first Davis Cup title against nine-time champion France.
“We will outlast the French,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview, appealing to the Serb supporters to stay in the packed Belgrade Arena for the decisive match. “They are nothing, we are better and we must prove that.”
“It was unbelievable today,” Djokovic said. “Under the circumstances, maybe one of the best matches I have played this year. It was definitely a lot of pressure, expectations.”
Third-ranked Djokovic breezed through the first two sets, breaking the 12th-ranked Monfils twice in each.
The first break for the Serb came in the fourth game of the first set when Monfils attempted a cheeky forehand through his legs while leading 30-0. He failed, had to change his racket after hitting it on the turf, and lost the next four points.
Djokovic won the set with a forehand that grazed the net.
Monfils put up tougher resistance in the third set, saving three break points at 1-0 and then breaking Djokovic’s serve for 2-1. Djokovic broke back, but then again failed to hold his serve for 4-3 to the Frenchman.
Djokovic had another break for 4-4 after a crosscourt volley. He held on to his serve and then broke Monfils to secure the victory.
“I don’t know if I had a chance,” said Monfils, whose record against Djokovic fell to 0-6. “He was better than me tonight.”
Djokovic had 18 unforced errors compared to Monfils’ 37. The Serb, who won his seventh consecutive Davis Cup singles, had only one forced error, compared to the Frenchman’s 15 in a match that lasted 2 hours, 14 minutes.
On Saturday, Llodra and Arnaud Clement rallied against Nenad Zimonjic and Troicki to triumph 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the doubles and leave France needing only one more win to capture a 10th Davis Cup, and first since 2001.
In the opening singles on Friday, Tipsarevic succumbed to nerves and lost against Monfils, while Djokovic beat Simon in straight sets.
