Davis Cup: Lebanon take on Monaco
The Lebanese tennis selection faces Monaco on Friday and Saturday in Group II of the Davis Cup on the courts of the NDU (Notre Dame University) in Zouk Mosbeh. A victory necessary for Lebanon to return to Group I of this world competition. Hady Habib opens the ball against Valentin Vacherot.
The shock promises to be thrilling. Lebanon face Monaco on Friday and Saturday for a meeting in the Group II of the Davis Cup. The objective, if not easy, has the merit of being clear: to reintegrate Group I. The mission is far from impossible, especially since the Lebanese team will have the advantage of playing at home.
On this occasion, Fadi Youssef, captain of the Lebanese Davis Cup team, a summoned Benjamin Hassan (ATP 293), Hady Habib (ATP 358), Hassan Ibrahim (ATP 1666), Roy Tabet, Tamim Hallak as well as the new come, Moustapha el-Natour, who will act as a replacement.
For his part, the coach and captain of the Monegasque team, Guillaume Couillard has chosen Valentin Vacherot (ATP 271), Lucas Catarina (ATP 498), Hugo Nys (ATP 1101) and Romain Arneodo.
Hady Habib will open the fire in this Davis Cup Group II confrontation between Monaco and Lebanon. The Lebanese will face Valentin Vacherot (ATP 271) on Friday from 12:45 p.m. on the NDU courts in Zouk Mosbeh. Vacherot is one of the youngest players to have joined training camps. He made his first ITF tournaments at the end of 2015 and the snapshot of good results a few months later. He will start as a slight favorite against the 24-year-old Lebanese who currently occupies 358th place in the ATP world rankings.
Lebanese number one, Benjamin Hassan will face Lucas Catarina (ATP 498) in the 2nd single on Friday’s program. As a reminder, Benjamin Hassan was born in Merzig, Germany, in 1995. He plays under the colors of Germany in the ATP circuit, but has been defending the colors of his parents’ homeland in the Davis Cup for a few years now.
History of Lebanon in the Davis Cup
The Lebanese Davis Cup team first contested the competition in 1957 when they hosted New Zealand in Beirut. Defeated 5-0, it also faced Colombia in 1959, Finland in 1962 and Egypt in 1963. It reappeared in 1969 and played four other meetings until 1974, without however finding the way to success. The Lebanese civil war led to the withdrawal of the team for several years.
The Lebanese selection indeed made its return in 1992 when it joined the third Asian division. In 1997, the team which relies on the duo of professional players Ali Hamadé and Jicham Zaatini, progresses to the first continental division and remains there for three years, then reaches it again in 2002. Lebanon relaunched in 2018, signing a series of eight consecutive victories under the impetus of Benjamin Hassan and Hady Habib, beating in turn Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Back in Group 1, the team lost on the wire against Uzbekistan in 2019, but ruled out Thailand again in the play-offs in 2020.
Well ranked anyway
Lebanon certainly does not have the reputation of a great tennis nation, but the country of Cedars is still ranked twenty places ahead of Monaco in the world hierarchy! Ravaged by a relentless and devastating economic crisis since 2019, Lebanese sport has not been spared. Also, the Lebanese Tennis Federation has virtually no sponsors. The money comes mainly from the private pocket of the president of the Federation, Oliver Faisal. Therefore, it is no longer surprising to see the many young talents leaving the country to perfect their skills elsewhere. Like Benjamin Hassan and Hady Habib, the “expatriates” crystallize Lebanon’s best hopes.
In this confrontation, Lebanon is aiming for a place in World Group 1 for the second time in a row. The last time it achieved this was in 2020, just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a win in the play-offs against Thailand. Fingers crossed…
The program
Zouk Mosbeh. Davis Cup, World Group I play-off (indoor): Lebanon – Monaco.
Friday. From 12:45 p.m.:
Hady Habib versus Valentin Vacherot
Benjamin Hassan versus Lucas Catarina.
Saturday. From 11:30 a.m.:
Dating double man
From 1:00 p.m.:
Dating single gentlemen
From 3 p.m.:
Dating single gentlemen
Davis Cup matches are best-of-three matches.