LILLE, France, — France moved one step closer to a 10th Davis Cup title when Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert beat Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 to give the hosts a 2-1 lead in the final against neighbors Belgium on Saturday.

The French pair, in their first competitive match together, were down a break in the third set when Bemelmans suffered a meltdown, allowing Les Bleus to turn the situation around.

David Goffin put the visitors ahead by beating Lucas Pouille in the opening singles before Jo-Wilfried Tsonga leveled for 1-1 when he defeated Steve Darcis in the second singles on Friday.

Tsonga and Goffin face off in the first reverse singles on Sunday while Pouille and Darcis are set to play a decisive fifth match, if needed.

France captain Yannick Noah had surprisingly dropped doubles specialists Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut, Herbert's preferred partner, to include Gasquet in the team on Thursday and while risky, his choice did not backfire.

Gasquet and Herbert, however, owe a big part of their victory to Bemelmans's inability to handle the pressure in front of a wild 28,500 crowd at the Pierre Mauroy stadium.

After a disastrous opening set, the Belgian pair put the French on the back foot and served for the gain of the third set, only for Bemelmans to crack.

Herbert and Gasquet had never played together but it did not seem to be a problem at first as they raced to a 5-0 lead while the Belgians struggled to find their stride on the indoor hardcourt.

They avoided a bagel, however, saving two set points before winning their first game. The French bagged the set in the following game but Belgium gained momentum when they broke for 3-1 in the second.

France broke back but dropped serve again in the following game as De Loore fired a jaw-dropping passing shot from way outside the court's limits.

Bemelmans then leveled for one-set all with an angled service winner. The French saved two break points in the fifth game of the third set but dropped serve in the seventh against an ecstatic Belgian pair.

Bemelmans played a poor service game to allow the French to level for 5-5 and as the left-handed Belgian's level nosedived, Les Bleus easily won the tiebreak.

Two consecutive double faults by Herbert earned Belgium break points in the sixth game of the fourth set but France saved them in >

The French held serve and wrapped it up when De Loore fired a forehand long on match point.

Nishikori vows to come

back stronger after layoff

Japan's Kei Nishikori is hopeful of returning from his lengthy injury layoff at the start of 2018 and looking forward to challenging for major titles and a place in the top five next season.

The 27-year-old was ranked ninth in the world before sustaining a season-ending wrist injury ahead of the Cincinnati Masters in August and joined a host of top players including Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka on the sidelines.

Nishikori says he might return at January's Brisbane international, the Australian Open warm-up where he finished runner-up earlier this year, but is wary of rushing his recovery.

I can't say when I'll heal from my injury so I'm trying not to rush anything, Nishikori told Japanese media. I'm aiming for the Brisbane International but it could be February, or even March, who knows. I want to make sure I'm in top form when I'm back on tour so I'm in a position to win a Masters or grand slam title. I also hope I'm mentally stronger and hungrier next season.

Nishikori, who underwent elbow surgery and was sidelined for almost a year in 2009, chose rehabilitation instead of surgery to treat his wrist injury. There was a lot of good that came from this experience. If it weren't for the injury I wouldn't have undergone a rehab period in Europe, Nishikori added.

I wouldn't have met the physical trainer who introduced me to a conditioning method that was new to me. I feel like it could change my body.

Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer made successful returns from injury in 2017, winning six and seven titles respectively to re-establish themselves at the top of the game.

I know I'm getting tougher, so I'm actually looking forward to the challenge, Nishikori added. With Federer and Nadal back and younger players raising their game, the level of play has risen.

I know I've been away from competition for about six months because of my injury, but I hope to make it back into the top five. I know I can. — Reuters