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.
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.
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 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
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