Tennis: France win Davis Cup

Nicolas Escude gave France their ninth Davis Cup with a win over Wayne Arthurs in the deciding tie of the final in Melbourne.

Pat Rafter was forced to pull out of the fifth and decisive match through tendinitis in his arm, leaving Australia's destiny in the hands of Arthurs, who had not played a singles match since the end of October.

Escude duly won 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3, and Australian captain John Fitzgerald's tactics backfired horribly.

Fitzgerald decided to scrap the scheduled doubles pairing of Todd Woodbridge and Arthurs in favour of Rafter and Hewitt.

Earlier, Lleyton Hewitt sent the final to a decider with a 6-3 6-2 6-3 win over France's Sebastien Grosjean.