Newcomers Syria experienced a tough start to life at their first Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Finals as they were dispatched 3-0 by Group B rivals and 2018 finalists France.

On a scorching hot day in Orlando, Mehdi Sadaoui got the French team off to the perfect start, powering his way to a straight sets win over Syria’s Pierre Djaroueh 6-2 6-0.

However, Syria weren’t going down without a fight and a spirited display from Taym Alazmeh, which saw him push Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard to three sets, showed that Syria aren’t just here to make up the numbers.

Alazmeh and Djaroueh then joined forces for the doubles but were eventually defeated by the powerful French pairing of Mpetshi-Perricard and Max Westphal, who claimed a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory.

After the tie, Syria captain Wassim Zinnia was reflective, drawing on the positives from competing against such a strong French side.

“I think my players learned a lot today from playing with one of the top seeds at this tournament. We played one of the top teams here and it was a close score,” reflected Zinnia.

“We can compete at the top, I’ve told the boys that they can do much better and I hope that they can see this.”

Syria’s next tie in Group B comes in the form of Hong Kong, who defeated Ukraine 2-1 on their opening day in Orlando thanks to a strong doubles performance from Tim Gauntlett and Coleman Wong, who ran out 7-6(3) 6-4 winners.

In the Junior Fed Cup Finals, sixth seeds Germany, making their return to this competition for the first time in five years, fell to Morocco in a Group C clash full of grit and determination.

Mara Guth gave her nation the lead with a quickfire 6-2 6-3 victory over Morocco’s Yasmine Kabbaj before Sara Akid rallied well for the North African side to level the tie at 1-1, with a 7-6(4) 6-4 win over Julia Middendorf.

The tie was settled by a doubles showdown which went to deciding match tiebreak, with Moroccan pairing Kabbaj and Akid running out eventual winners 3-6 6-3 [10-8].

Following jubilant scenes from the Moroccan pairing and their supporters, captain Mehdi El-Tahiri was keen to highlight team spirit and determination as two key components of his sides success.

“I told my players they have to be like the one who is playing at that moment. To feel and live the fight, even when sitting courtside,” explained El-Tahiri. “Fed Cup, Davis Cup - it’s all about team spirit.

“We are not just here to play good tennis, we are here to fight and represent our country.”

The Moroccan was also complimentary of his side's German opponents, citing their rich tennis pedigree. El-Yahiri said: “I’m very happy for my girls, to beat a country such as Germany, a country with a lot of tennis history, is huge. We are up and coming, it’s a big win for us and for the future. I’m very happy.”

Elsewhere in Group C, fourth seeds Canada enjoyed a 2-1 victory over Serbia, with Melodie Collard and Annabelle Xu winning their respective singles to give the Canadians an unassailable lead heading into the doubles.