On paper, the challenge was already shaping up to be difficult for the French women's team against Italy in the Billie Jean King Cup (ex Fed Cup) play-offs.
It got even more complicated after a catastrophic first day on Friday when Captain Julien Benneteau's Bleues were already down 2-0 in Alghero, a small town in northwestern Sardinia.
Despite winning the first set, Alizé Cornet, the French number 1 and 34th player in the world first lost (2-6, 6-1, 7-6) to Jasmine Paolini (n ° 48).
However, she had two match points at 5-4 in the 3rd set which she missed by attempting two drop shots.
In the tie-break, Cornet made big mistakes and Paolini took the opportunity to make the difference (7-2).
Camila Giorgi dominated Océane Dodin and gave Italy a 2-0 advantage over France after Matchday 1: https://t.co/wbfAeG2ByN
On Saturday, Les Bleues will have to win it all 💪#BJKCup pic.twitter .com/U8lh53Yr9p
— FFT (@FFTennis) April 15, 2022
Established after the packages of Caroline Garcia and Clara Burel, and preferred by Benneteau to Kristina Mladenovic, in poor form in singles this season (no victory), Océane Dodin (94th in the world) then did not make the weight against the Italian number 1 Camila Giorgi (30th in the world) against whom she had won her two previous confrontations.
The 25-year-old Northerner was swept away in just over an hour (6-1, 6-2).
The France team is therefore up against the wall and will have no room for error.
To avoid an early elimination, she will already have to win the two singles this Saturday morning to equalize.
Before a double which would then be decisive.