<p>Marin Cilic beat France’s Lucas Pouille in straight sets on Sunday as Croatia clinched the Davis Cup.</p>.<p>Cilic won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-3, to dethrone defending champions France and secure Croatia’s second Davis Cup, 13 years after their first.</p>.<p>Pouille took Cilic to a tie-break in the first set but could not mount a challenge in the next two, losing in two hours, 19 minutes.</p>.<p>Croatia won all three singles matches in straight sets.</p>.<p>“It’s just a dream weekend, we all dreamed of playing as well all weekend,” said Cilic.</p>.<p>“We did not even concede a service (in singles).”</p>.<p>It was the last final in the traditional format before a radical reorganisation of the venerable competition.</p>.<p>“Yes, that makes it special,” said Cilic.</p>.<p>The victory gives Croatia some revenge for their football team’s defeat by France in the World Cup final in July.</p>.<p>“We can’t wait to be in Zagreb, like the footballers when they came back from the World Cup,” said Zeljko Krajan, the Croatia captain.</p>.<p>In the 2016 final, Cilic also played the first reverse singles with Croatia a point ahead, but lost in five sets to Juan Martin del Potro and Argentina went on to win 3-2.</p>.<p>“We were in this position before and Marin did not manage to do it,” said Krajan.</p>.<p>“This time, I told them they were strong enough and that they would only have to focus on their game for this to happen.”</p>
<p>Marin Cilic beat France’s Lucas Pouille in straight sets on Sunday as Croatia clinched the Davis Cup.</p>.<p>Cilic won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-3, to dethrone defending champions France and secure Croatia’s second Davis Cup, 13 years after their first.</p>.<p>Pouille took Cilic to a tie-break in the first set but could not mount a challenge in the next two, losing in two hours, 19 minutes.</p>.<p>Croatia won all three singles matches in straight sets.</p>.<p>“It’s just a dream weekend, we all dreamed of playing as well all weekend,” said Cilic.</p>.<p>“We did not even concede a service (in singles).”</p>.<p>It was the last final in the traditional format before a radical reorganisation of the venerable competition.</p>.<p>“Yes, that makes it special,” said Cilic.</p>.<p>The victory gives Croatia some revenge for their football team’s defeat by France in the World Cup final in July.</p>.<p>“We can’t wait to be in Zagreb, like the footballers when they came back from the World Cup,” said Zeljko Krajan, the Croatia captain.</p>.<p>In the 2016 final, Cilic also played the first reverse singles with Croatia a point ahead, but lost in five sets to Juan Martin del Potro and Argentina went on to win 3-2.</p>.<p>“We were in this position before and Marin did not manage to do it,” said Krajan.</p>.<p>“This time, I told them they were strong enough and that they would only have to focus on their game for this to happen.”</p>