Lille to host France vs Switzerland Davis Cup final

The Davis Cup final between France and Roger Federer's Switzerland will be held at the 27,000-capacity Pierre Mauroy stadium in the northern French city of Lille.

Inaugurated in 2012, the stadium has a retractable roof which will be closed throughout the Nov. 21-23 final.

The surface for the final will be announced by Monday, the FFT said in a statement Friday.

The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is a multi-use stadium that is currently the home of French Ligue 1 football club Lille. The stadium has a capacity of over 50,000, but for the final a court will be set up at one end to make use of the permanent seating in conjunction with temporary stands. The expected capacity will be a minimum of 27,000 spectators.

The highest capacity for a Davis Cup final was in 2004, when 27,200 spectators watched Spain defeat USA at the Olympic Stadium in Seville. This remains the largest ever crowd at an officially sanctioned tennis match.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "Lille will be a spectacular setting for one of the most eagerly anticipated Davis Cup Finals in years. It will be a fitting climax to a successful year for the competition that has seen strong player participation, sell-out crowds and excellent TV and media coverage."

France is third on the list of all-time winners behind Australia and the United States, and bidding for a 10th Davis Cup title. Switzerland is looking for its first.

''All of France waits with impatience for this final,'' FFT president FFT President Jean Gachassin said. ''I am particularly happy that it will be played before a record attendance in the beautiful city of Lille.''

France lost the 2010 final 3-2 against Novak Djokovic's Serbia and the 2002 final at home to Marat Safin's Russia by the same score.

The Swiss lost 3-1 in the 1992 final against the U.S.

Led by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, France beat two-time defending champion the Czech Republic 4-1 in the semifinals, while Federer and Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka helped Switzerland beat Italy 3-2.

Date: 19th September 2014, Source: AP and Davis Cup