All the action from Paris as Marat Safin puts Russia into a 1-0 lead in the Davis Cup final against France with a 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory over Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Game-by-game updates:Fourth set:Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 4-6 Safin The pressure appears to be getting to Safin, who sends a forehand down the line just long and a volley some metres past the baseline on the subsequent point. He settles the nerves with a drop volley to go 30-30 and then sets up a second match point with an ace. The match is sealed with a second consecutive ace.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 4-5 Safin
Safin slips on the clay on the opening point. It leaves him shaken and allows Mathieu back into the game. A series of nailbiting rallies barely separate the two, but the Frenchman forces Safin to serve out for the match with a service winner.
 Mathieu was demolished in the third set
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Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 3-5 Safin
Mathieu forces Safin to 30-30 but match point arrives with a 205km/h serve by the Russian. A double fault promptly follows and Mathieu gains a break point with a bold passing shot. He clinches it with a forehand down the line to sensationally stay in the match.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 2-5 Safin
Game seven of the set brings up one of the shots of the day. Safin can do nothing but applaud as Mathieu leaves the Russian stranded with an excellent whipped forehand. It is scant consolation for the Frenchman, who is outshone for the remainder of the game and concedes a second service game in the set.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 2-4 Safin
Mathieu makes in-roads on the Safin serve for the first time since the second set, varying the pace and placement of his returns to bring up an opportunity to break back. Sadly for the French crowd it is just long and the Russian wins the next three points.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 2-3 Safin
Safin shows a little impatience in wanting to speedily wrap up the tie as he unsuccessfully goes for the glory shots early on. He still produces another break point, but his fearsome backhand is marginally wide and Mathieu stays in the rubber.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 1-3 Safin
A change of shirt fails to bring a change in fortunes for Mathieu, who buckles once more under Safin's serve.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 1-2 Safin
Safin bides his time from the baseline, forcing an exasperated Mathieu into the error - the Frenchman falling 30-40 down as a result. An ace curtails the Russian, albeit temporarily, before a lucky net cord goes his way for the set's first break.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 1-1 Safin
Ferocious serving gives Safin the game to love.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 1-0 Safin
The third set annihilation appears to have done little to stifle Mathieu's energy and ambition. He wrong-foots Safin in superb fashion to take an early fourth-set lead.
Third set:Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-6 Safin
A break point is snuffed out as quickly as it arrives, Safin producing an ace to take the scores to deuce. An insistence on overhitting gifts Mathieu another chance but Safin's foray to the net halts that too. Mathieu 4-6 6-3 1-5 Safin
Mathieu shows the class is still there with a punishing forehand down the line to open the game. That carries on throughout as he restores some pride.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 0-5 Safin
Amazingly after his efforts of the second set, Safin can now do no wrong on court. A game to love produces an unappealing scoreline for the French crowd.
 Yeltsin and Chirac are watching the tie
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Mathieu 4-6 6-3 0-4 Safin
French captain Guy Forget will need to get Mathieu back on track. The youngster is outblasted once again on his own serve in this ever-changing encounter.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 0-3 Safin
The ball is struck with power and precision throughout the game, the best shot coming as Safin clips it from his feet past the approaching Mathieu. And suitably it is the Russian who takes the game, forcing his French rival to send the ball net bound.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 0-2 Safin
The game opens with Mathieu's first double fault of the rubber. He is then outplayed on the next two points by a surprisingly rejuvenated Safin, who picks up three break points in the process. He takes the third opportunity, catching Mathieu short at the net.
Mathieu 4-6 6-3 0-1 Safin
Safin desperately needs to win the game to restore some confidence. He does it but not with the panache he has shown on the ATP Tour this season.
Second set:Mathieu 4-6 6-3 Safin
Game 19 of the rubber brings up the first lob, sweetly timed by Safin. But it is the Russian's only point as Mathieu comfortably wins the second set. Mathieu 4-6 5-3 Safin
Safin's game is typified when he is caught all tied up in No Man's Land. Mathieu has plenty of time to force a forehand past his opponent. That and a Russian double fault pave the way for two set points. Safin recovers for a temporary halt to the onslaught.
Mathieu 4-6 5-2 Safin
Somehow Mathieu seems to have more time than the often lethargic Safin. The Davis Cup debutant restores his three-game lead by stretching out the length of the rallies.
Mathieu 4-6 4-2 Safin
Safin's return to the net does the trick and, by taking his time, he picks his way past Mathieu.
 Mathieu has the backing of captain Guy Forget
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Mathieu 4-6 4-1 Safin
Safin skips between moments of madness and brilliance. First he edges a simple forehand pass into the crowd and then produces a nigh impossible cross-court effort. Mathieu's greater consistency and energy outdoes him.
Mathieu 4-6 3-1 Safin
The fragile mind of Safin looks to have crumbled, as has his second serve. His first serve, though, saves him from two break points and stops the rot.
Mathieu 4-6 3-0 Safin
The Bercy crowd is revelling at Mathieu's turnaround in fortunes as he nonchalantly takes a 3-0 lead.
Mathieu 4-6 2-0 Safin
Typically the Safin mind wanders and his loss of focus puts Mathieu 30-0 up. But the Frenchman misses a blatant chance for three break points, sending an easy volley wide. In a topsy turvy game, he finally breaks as Safin once again nods off and Mathieu fires in a well-timed volley.
Mathieu 4-6 1-0 Safin
With Mathieu 30-15 up, Safin has the ideal opportunity to level but punches a simple volley into the net. A wide serve by the Frenchman gives him an early second-set lead.
First set: Mathieu 4-6 Safin
Mathieu has an opporunity for a timely break point but his awesomely powerful forehand clips the top of the net. An untroubled Safin rounds off the set with an ace. Mathieu 4-5 Safin
The spring in Mathieu's step appears to have escaped him as he struggles with his serving early on. But an ace relaxes him and he forces Safin to serve out for the set.
Mathieu 3-5 Safin
After riding some early pressure, Russia are now in the ascendancy, watched by former president Boris Yeltsin. Safin notches up a game to love.
 Safin took the first set
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Mathieu 3-4 Safin
Mathieu briefly loses control of his aggressive style which hands Safin the only invite he needs for a first break point. Mathieu shows great maturity to wrong-foot the Russian for deuce but Safin gets the break when the Frenchman sends a simple forehand a metre long.
Mathieu 3-3 Safin
Safin is raining down some potent serves on his 20-year-old rival. That sets the trend for game six, the Russian conceding just one point before a whipped cross-court backhand levels proceedings.
Mathieu 3-2 Safin
Both players are unleashing some ferocious tennis from the back of the court, using the full width of the court in the process. Mathieu takes the game with a serve wide to Safin's backhand.
Mathieu 2-2 Safin
Mathieu looks the more at ease of the two. He forces Safin to hit the ball out after a 12-stroke rally for the tie's first break point. The Frenchman fails to take three break chances as his opponent does just enough.
Mathieu 2-1 Safin
Both men are steadily beginning to find their range and rhythm on the Bercy clay but Mathieu's foot work and power from the back of the court proves too much.
Mathieu 1-1 Safin
Safin holds his serve with ease to settle the nerves.
Mathieu 1-0 Safin
Safin heads into the net to move 30-15 up against serve. Mathieu shows no signs of pressure, whipping a backhand down the line to level the scores, before rounding off his first game confidently.
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