Russia win first Davis Cup in amazing comeback

Russia won the Davis Cup for the first time on Sunday after 20-year-old Mikhail Youzhny, a late substitute in the deciding singles, staged an astonishing comeback to beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

In a showdown between two of the most inexperienced players ever to feature in the title-match, Youzhny recovered his nerve after two dreadful sets to claw his way back into the match, dousing Mathieu's fire and the passion of the Parisian crowd.

As the Russian team swarmed on to the claycourt to embrace Youzhny after Mathieu hit a return of service wide, former president Boris Yeltsin climbed over a courtside barrier to bearhug anyone Russian he met en route to his young compatriot.

Yeltsin, the self-proclaimed team mascot, had watched every match in the three-day final from a front row seat, leading the chanting by about 1,500 Russian fans and punching the air in moments of high drama.

"Youzhny has a very strong character, he is a fighter," said Yeltsin proudly.

Youzhny, a ballboy the last time his country appeared in a final in 1995, was brought in by Russian coach Shamil Tarpischev to replace former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov in a risky gamble which proved a masterstroke.

Not since 1964 has a team come back from 2-1 down in a final to win the title and Youzhny is the first player to come from two sets down in the final singles to win the Davis Cup.

"Now we have a new hero," said Kafelnikov as he bounced Youzhny in the air with joy.

Tarpischev did not believe Kafelnikov, who was thrashed in the opening singles and defeated with Marat Safin in Saturday's doubles, was in the right physical or mental state of mind to play the decider.

Kafelnikov had vowed to retire if Russia won their first title here and it must have been a shattering blow for the 28-year-old to miss out on the chance to play the deciding match.

"Yevgeny has done so much for Russian tennis, we deserved this title," said Marat Safin who won both his singles in the final.

Russia, formerly the Soviet Union, first played Davis Cup tennis in 1962 and had lost two finals, in 1994 and 1995.

Mathieu, who made his Davis Cup debut in the final after winning two ATP titles in October, lost both his singles and burst into tears as his team mates offered their sympathy.

"It was not Paul-Henri's defeat, it was a defeat of the whole team," said French captain Guy Forget. "I don't want to hear people saying that he cracked under pressure.

"He will come back much stronger and will become one of the pillars of the French team."

SAFIN TRIUMPHS

In Sunday's first reverse singles, Safin battered Sebastien Grosjean into a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 submission to level the tie at 2-2.

An exhausted Safin kept Russia's Cup hopes alive by winning a thrilling third set tiebreak 13-11.

"For two sets he was playing like a god and was at the very top of his form but I didn't back down," Grosjean said.

Youzhny had played just five previous Davis Cup singles, losing four of them, before being told by Tarpischev on Saturday night he would take over from Kafelnikov.

Unfortunately for Russia's hopes Youzhny froze on the biggest stage of his life in the first two sets as Mathieu picked off his second serve.

But his superlative backhand brought him back into the match in the third set.

The fourth set featured a spate of breaks of serve but Youzhny's speed around the court continually frustrated Mathieu and he drew level at two sets all on his first set point.

Breaks of serve continued in the fifth set but Youzhny came out on top as the noise in the Bercy stadium reached almost dangerous levels and Mathieu's head began to drop.

Youzhny carried on going for his shots right to the end and Mathieu acknowledged the Russian deserved his victory because of his courage.

"When I was two sets down I decided to carry on playing my game and see what happened," said Youzhny.

France, in their third final in four years, were bidding for their 10th title.