Sad Federer hopes new Davis Cup lives up to promises

While unsure of the wisdom of this week's sweeping David Cup reform, Roger Federer has called on tennis officials to make good on promises regarding the new-look competition.

"I feel sad about it, you know, not to have the Davis Cup as it used to be. It will never be the same for the next generation," the 20-time Grand Slam winner said on Saturday at the Cincinnati Masters.

"I just hope that every penny of that mass of money will be paid for the next generation," Federer said.

Kosmos, an investment group led by Barcelona football star Gerard Pique with Japanese and Chinese support, will spend $3 billion over 25 years on the new event, which will do away with four rounds at home and away venues around the world throughout the year, culminating with the final between the last two teams standing.

Instead there will be a one-week shoot-out among 18 nations, to be played in November at rotating venues.

With nearly two decades in the game, the 37-year-old Federer has a long memory back to another mega-deal gone wrong which could have seriously damaged the ATP Tour.

"We've seen a similar situation way back when with the ATP Tour and it set us back in a big way," he said. "I don't want that to happen again."

That incident in 2000 stemmed from the bankruptcy of the Swiss ISL promotion firm that had promised to pay the Tour $1.2 billion over a decade for the rights to the elite Masters events.

ISL suddenly went bust and the deal never came to fruition, although the ATP recovered nicely to its current dominating state in the men's game.

Federer won the Davis Cup with Switzerland over France in 2014 and played almost uninterruptedly from his 1999 debut until age 34 in 2015.

"Clearly the ITF has never historically involved the players," he said of the decision. "The solution is definitely flawed in some ways.

"I'm all for innovation, and got to give them a chance to some extent. It will be interesting to see how it's going to work."

Date: 18 August 2018, Source: AFP

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Federer finishes off plucky Dutch in quick time

Against all the odds we had a proper Davis Cup tie here. By rights the under-strength Dutch team should have been heading home on Saturday evening, mentally if not physically, but instead they tenaciously hung around to bring the best out of the reigning Davis Cup champion and Roger Federer in particular.

Thiemo de Bakker, the Dutch No. 1, had taken Stan Wawrinka, the world No. 4, close to defeat in the opening rubber and it set the tone for a never-say-die performance from the visiting team. And then the Dutch effort hit the buffers, or, to be more precise, a Roger Federer in the sort of imperious form that had taken him to the final of the recent US Open.

Whether it was Federer’s last Davis Cup tie remains to be seen, but clearly his involvement next year is doubtful, which is a pity because a fully committed Swiss team should be too good for anyone.

“I don't know yet if I play Davis Cup next year, depends also on the draw. My idea was never to win it twice, the idea was always to win it once and we did that in front of a record crowd, which was a great moment for us all,” Federer told DavisCup.com.

“I see this tie in isolation. Next year is an Olympic year. The summer will be very long and packed with highlights. It’s all a question of priorities. I can’t play everything and of course if I do play Davis Cup other things have to drop out.”

Jesse Huta Galung, the Dutch No. 2, had said on Friday that playing Federer was like playing a ghost and the world No. 2 has certainly proved an elusive figure for de Bakker on the few occasions they have met these past three years. Once again he failed to win a set against him as Federer, seemingly in second gear throughout, took the rubber and this World Group play-off with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Federer improved to 40-8 lifetime in singles rubbers for Switzerland.

Date: 20th September 2015, Source: Davis Cup and ATP

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Dutch duo stun Swiss to halve deficit

Surely a Davis Cup champion is not meant to struggle like this, not against seriously weakened opposition. The odds are still heavily on Switzerland pulling through this Davis Cup World Group play-off, but their Dutch opponents are making them fight every inch of the way.

Before this tie began, Jan Siemerink, the Netherlands captain, said he expected his team to lose but if they did he wanted them to go down fighting. They have not disappointed him. Indeed it would be no stretch of the imagination to say that the Dutch could now be 2-1 up instead of 2-1 down.

Thiemo de Bakker had led Stanislas Wawrinka for much of the three hours and nine minutes of the opening rubber on Friday only to falter when in sight of the finish. He was not about to make the same mistake a second time in the doubles on Saturday.

At two sets to one down it was the reverse of his singles match, but this time, alongside Matwe Middelkoop, he showed a steady nerve as well as great resilience to beat Roger Federer and Marco Chiudinelli 7-6(7), 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and take this tie to the final day. Middelkoop and de Bakker saved 11 of 13 break points.

The fact that it was the first time the two Swiss players had played together in the Davis Cup was no excuse; de Bakker and Middelkoop had never played together at all. “The first time,” said Middelkoop. “And the last time,” joked de Bakker.

“We knew before that our type of game is really comfortable with each other,” said the 32-year-old Middelkoop, who was enjoying his finest moment on a tennis court. “We both have good serves, good returns and that made up really well for the match - I think the end result is great. To win against Roger, yeah that’s special.”

The Swiss team had all agreed that the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold-medal winning partnership of Federer and Wawrinka should be temporarily broken up in order to give the latter some much needed rest, but if Switzerland is to win this tie in four rubbers perhaps it might have been more advisable to rest Federer.

The great man has a slight leg strain which needed massage at the end of the third set, but should be fit to face de Bakker, against whom he has not dropped a set in three matches, in the first of Sunday’s reverse singles. Also, of course, de Bakker has now played 10 sets of tennis in 48 hours.

Questioned on why he also took a break at the end of the fourth set, Federer replied: “You have to go to the toilet because you just don’t sweat enough in doubles.”

Mind you, it was getting pretty sweaty for the Swiss in the fifth set - “a blistering fifth set”, as the Dutch captain called it - with his players racing to a 5-0 lead in winning seven consecutive games.

There had been little to separate the two sides for the first four sets, although Switzerland’s first serve percentage clearly let them down in the first set - 54 per cent as against the Netherlands’s 74 per cent. They picked up that percentage dramatically in the second set and by the end of the third seemed to be taking control, but the Dutch were not going to go away.

“I think we played very well for four sets,” said Federer. “They had a good tiebreaker and a good 10 minutes at the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth and they deserved victory in the end. Indoor doubles is brutal, it’s very close, plus the surface plays rather quickly, especially in the doubles.”

Federer is scheduled to meet de Bakker in Sunday's first reserve singles, with Wawrinka playing Huta Galung in the fifth rubber.

Date: 19th September 2015, Source: Davis Cup and ATP

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Federer and Wawrinka propel Swiss ahead

This was one of those occasions when the scoreline doesn’t tell half the story. If the form book was a reliable guide - which thankfully in Davis Cup it often isn’t - the Dutch fans would have left the Palexpo Arena with red faces to go with their orange shirts.

Instead they came away glowing with pride over their team’s performance on the opening day of this World Group play-off, particularly that of Thiemo de Bakker, who was not so very far away from giving his team a shock lead in the opening rubber.

De Bakker led by 3-0 and two sets to one against the two-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka only to “lose my head a bit for a while”, as he put it, in the fifth set, enabling a much relieved Wawrinka to prevail 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in three hours and nine minutes.

“I played a great match, but at this moment I’m still a bit sad that I didn’t take the match - I had my chances,” said de Bakker. “It’s tough. I lost my focus in the fourth set and lost nine games in a row, I think. Still had small chances, but he’s a great player and he kept going.”

After that it would have taken a brave Swiss fan to predict with utmost certainty that his country would lead 2-0 at the end of the opening day, but of course Roger Federer seldom fails them and he came through as expected 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 against Jesse Huta Galung, a player who with a ranking of No. 436 obviously comes from a rather different world to the 17-time Grand Slam champion.

“He’s doing everything different,” said Huta Galung of Federer. “He moves so fast on the court - if you don’t look for a second to the other side he’s on the net, he’s like a ghost.”

For a few minutes, though, at the start of the fourth set of the opening rubber it was the Davis Cup champion who was looking haunted.

While de Bakker left the recent US Open almost before the tournament had started, losing in straight sets in the first round of qualifying, his Swiss opponent had gone all the way to the semi-finals only to lose to his compatriot Federer. Only a week ago de Bakker lost in straight sets in the first round of a Challenger event. Who’d be a tennis pundit?

However, Jan Siemerink, the Dutch captain, had warned that de Bakker on his day can be a handful for anyone and that the Swiss were well aware of that fact. He was not wrong. De Bakker broke Wawrinka in the opening game and never looked back, well, for the next three hours or so he didn’t. He might now.

His aim was to come to the net and take away time from the world No. 4 and it was a tactic that worked wonderfully well for the most part. It even took Federer by surprise, never mind Wawrinka.

“We knew he had potential and could be dangerous, but he changed his game up and served and volleyed a lot, which was not maybe to be expected because he also likes to stay at the baseline,” said Federer. “I think he did as well as he could, probably should have won at the end, but Stan got a sniff and showed why he’s a top four player.”

How much Wawrinka’s exertions at the US Open played a part in proceedings is difficult to say, but certainly his timing, length of shot and first serve were often horribly awry. The fact that he was unable to summon a smile at the finish said all that one needed to know about how satisfied he was with his performance.

To his credit he stuck to his task and like all good players ground out a victory while playing poorly. Some players would have thrown in the towel at the start of the fourth set and said to himself, “Roger will get us back into it”. Not Wawrinka.

From 3-0 down in that fourth set he shook off the jet lag, weariness or whatever it was that had made him look like a rookie at times to win nine games on the trot, enabling him to square the match at two sets all and take a commanding lead in the fifth set.

“I just tried to stay positive, tried to fight and find a solution, tried to make him play more,” said Wawrinka. “I know how well he can play, how well he can serve. He hasn’t had a lot of big matches lately and I thought he might tire. He looked nervous in the fourth set and started to miss easy balls.”

Credit de Bakker, too, for not giving up when he must have felt the tide was turning against him in the final set, breaking back to level at 3-3. Serving first in the set was definitely an advantage for Wawrinka, but De Bakker took it to the wire and then some.

The Dutch couldn’t hide their disappointment, though. “I’m not saying he had to win this match,” said Siemerink, “but he had an opportunity to get into the position to win it. At the end of the day, we’re all sportsmen, we’re not coming here for holidays, we’re coming here for a good result and in the first match a good result was possible.”

Date: 18th September 2015, Source: Davis Cup

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Federer: "It is unlikely I will play the Davis Cup in 2016"

Roger Federer, back from the US Open final, will play the upcoming Davis Cup play-off against Netherlands to stay in the World Group: "We are confident because we have Stan in the team. We are the same team of last year. A strong team. And then we play on the court in which we won the semi-finals and quarter-finals last year. This is why we are clearly favourites.

"Then we have the support of the crowd. We hope there will be many fans. For us, it's great to get so much support from the crowd. Being able to play again in Geneva with the same team of last year, with Stan and Seve is great. Also we don't know how things will go. No one knows. It could be the last home match for a long time."

For how long, will we see him play in the Davis Cup: "I don't see this challenge as a farewell. In another scenario, I would have stopped to play Davis Cup in Lille. I played with this thought, but I knew it wouldn't be so, because of Olympics. It may be that I will continue to play in the Davis Cup, but next year it will certainly be difficult. May be at the end of 2016 or in 2017. There is still time to decide.

"I understand that I have to give answers, but I don't know where you play the next challenge. Cilic is in Brazil, Nadal is in Denmark and we are in Geneva, so this time we are lucky. Davis Cup makes everything uncertain and it is not easy to plan.

"I like to be organized, but I'm also willing to change. However, it is difficult to win the Davis Cup, becoming number one, winning a grand slam title and winning the Masters 1000. And then be criticized if I lose in the final in Dubai. I can't please everyone. It was always a goal to win the Davis Cup. Now that we have it done we are ready to do it again,"  said the Swiss Maestro.

Date: 18th September 2015, Source: Tennis World USA

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Federer and Wawrinka in Swiss Davis Cup return

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka have made themselves available for Switzerland's Davis Cup World Group playoff match against the Netherlands in September.

"We are of course very happy for this positive decision so early in the day," a post on the SwissTennis website read. "It will allow us to prepare for this playoff under the best of conditions."

The two Swiss stars won Switzerland's first Davis Cup crown last November when they defeated France in the final in Lille.

But they missed the first-round defeat against Belgium this year to concentrate on the Grand Slam events, Wawrinka taking full advantage to win the French Open.

There was also the matter of qualification rights for next year's Rio Olympics, with both players needing to play at least one Davis Cup tie before next summer to be eligible.

The winner of the tie from September 18-20 in the week after the US Open will stay in the 16-strong World Group with the loser dropping down to the second tier.

SwissTennis said that a decision on where the match would be played in Switzerland would be taken at a later date.

Date: 25th July 2015, Source: AFP

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Roger Federer skips Davis Cup in 2015

Roger Federer is skipping the Davis Cup this year after leading Switzerland to its first title in 2014.

Federer played the entire Davis Cup season last year, with Switzerland beating France 3-1 in the final. The Davis Cup was the only major competition the 17-time Grand Slam champion had not won.

Federer won't be in the lineup when Switzerland opens defense of the title in Belgium on March 6-8. And Federer said he has no plans to play Davis Cup the rest of the year either.

''It wasn't a difficult decision,'' the 33-year-old Federer said Monday at the Dubai tournament. ''I have played for so long, and I think by winning it I can finally do whatever I please, to be quite honest.''

The Swiss team in Belgium will also be without 2013 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka.

Federer has played in 26 Davis Cup ties since 1999 for an overall 50-17 win-loss record.

''It's been a big burden for me throughout my career and one of the things that have caused more difficulties in my life than many other things, I must say,'' Federer said.

''I always feel there is so much guilt put on you from the federation or from the ITF more so than anybody else. So I'm happy I was able to finally tick that off and do it altogether.''

Federer said his decision to dedicate himself to the 2014 Davis Cup campaign was more for his teammates than himself.

''I totally did it for the boys more than for me, to be quite honest,'' he said. ''I just really wanted Michael (Lammer) and Marco (Chiudinelli) and Stan to get it because they deserve it. So for me, this year, it was very clear that I was not going to play.''

While the Davis Cup is not in Federer's plans, Wawrinka has not decided on whether to play later in the year.

''I hope that Stan is going to play, next round or September or whatever it's going to be to keep us in the World Group,'' Federer said. ''Who knows? You never know if they can win it without us, as well. It's an opportunity, but clearly we are not the favorites now playing against Belgium.''

Federer, however, could have to show up for one more Davis Cup tie in the next two years in order to qualify directly for the Swiss Olympic team for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

ITF rules state that a player must compete in Davis Cup for his country once in the season leading up to or in the Olympic year to be eligible to compete at the games.

Federer could also be offered a wild card entry into the Olympic tournament.

Date: 24th February 2015, Source: AP

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Roger Federer: “This one’s for the boys”

Roger Federer added to his growing legacy on Sunday in Lille, guiding Switzerland to its first Davis Cup title with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over France’s Richard Gasquet.

The Basel native’s humility was on display as he reflected on the achievement following the match. For Federer, it was a team effort.

“This one’s for the boys,” said the 33 year old. “This is not for me, this is for them.”

He and Stan Wawrinka teamed to clinch the doubles rubber on Saturday after Wawrinka earned the first point of the tie with a four-set win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Federer admitted that while the title was important, it does not mark the final piece of the puzzle in his illustrious career.

“Everybody worked incredibly hard to get me match ready and Stan has put in so much effort over the years and played an unbelievable weekend. That’s what gave me the opportunity today. I’m very much aware of that.”

Coupled with a run to the final at the ATP World Tour Finals, the victory gives Federer considerable momentum in his quest for 1,000 match wins. Currently at No. 996, he will vie for the milestone at the season-opening Brisbane International in January. The 2014 runner-up to Lleyton Hewitt, he would clinch the feat with a run to the title.

Federer caps an impressive 2014 campaign, eclipsing the 70-match win threshold in a season for the sixth time and capturing five titles in 11 finals. His maiden Shanghai Rolex Masters crown in October gave him his 23rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy and he would return to World No. 2 in the ATP Rankings for the first time in 17 months.

Last week, the Swiss made a record 13th consecutive appearance at the season finale, where he reached his ninth final. Additionally, his 17 wins against the Top 10 are the most since 2007.

“I’m unbelievably happy,” added Federer. “It’s an amazing feeling to be celebrating with my friends. It was just a great match, great atmosphere, a beautiful weekend for tennis…  I’m happy I was able to stay calm and play a good match when I had to and I’m happy for all the guys on the team.”

Date: 24th November 2014, Source: ATP

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Roger Federer's Switzerland wins Davis Cup final

Roger Federer has now claimed all the big prizes on offer in tennis and, for once, will be happy to share his latest trophy with others.

Federer ended a week of uncertainty about his aging back with a vintage performance to give Switzerland an emphatic victory over France and its maiden Davis Cup.

His 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Richard Gasquet in the first reverse singles on Sunday sealed an unassailable 3-1 lead. That also proved to be the final result as the dead rubber between Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka wasn't played.

It took 15 years for the former top-ranked Federer to achieve Davis Cup success after making his debut in the event in 1999. No wonder he looked so emotional after converting his first match point, falling to his knees and lying face down on the court before hugging team captain Severin Luthi and his teammates.

''At the end, it's a tennis match, you feel great emotions. You're unbelievably happy and relieved,'' said a joyful Federer. ''We wanted this clearly very badly, especially being up 2-1. You inch yourself closer and closer. Clearly seeing Stan out there, the rest of the team supporting you, gives you an extra push. It was definitely one of the better feelings in my career, no doubt about it. So much nicer to celebrate it all together.''

After pulling out of the final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London last Sunday, Federer's participation against the French looked in doubt. He hit a ball for the first time on the indoor clay court on Wednesday evening and lost to Monfils in Friday's singles.

His form rapidly improved, though, and he was back to his best during Saturday's doubles win with Wawrinka that gave the Swiss a 2-1 lead.

Federer, who adopted a low profile all week, was full of praise for Wawrinka.

His teammate stepped out of Federer's formidable shadow earlier this year with victory at the Australian Open. He has also been a dedicated Davis Cup player in recent years.

In 2013, Wawrinka led Switzerland to victory in a World Group play-off in the absence of Federer, giving his country a shot at the trophy this year. He also won Switzerland's first point this weekend by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

''Stan has put in so much effort over the years and played an unbelievable weekend that gave me the opportunity today,'' said Federer.

''I'm very much aware of that, this one is for the boys. It's not for me. I've won enough in my career and did not need to tick any empty boxes. I'm just happy for everybody else. I'm happy we could live a great tennis historic moment in our country.''

Federer, who spent 302 weeks at the top of the game, shed a few tears before receiving his trophy and enjoying a lap of honor with his teammates. But emotions were not as strong as they were when he won his first Grand Slam title in Wimbledon in 2003.

''You can't compare. When I won Wimbledon, it was a total shock honestly,'' he said. ''Davis Cup is something that I knew was possible at some stage in my career.

''Of course, there was the pressure of being able to manage all this and make everyone happy with all the support we had for the team and everything. So it is a totally different feeling. Also I was not alone on the court. This changes everything.''

A favorite of the fans at the French Open, Federer was treated to a hostile reception as he entered the clay court in the converted Pierre Mauroy football stadium on Sunday.

He was booed during his warm-up and large sections of the 27,448 spectators applauded his rare mistakes.

It did not prevent him from taking control right from the start. The Swiss hit an ace that traveled at 210 kph (130 mph) to win his first service game and never looked back.

Moving well and varying his backhand shots, Federer gave a tennis masterclass. Gasquet was overwhelmed in the rallies and struggled to read his opponent's serve throughout.

''He was not unbeatable today, but he only made a few mistakes,'' said Gasquet, who replaced the injured Tsonga. ''It's a shame I could not get any break points.''

Federer broke in the third game after hitting a subtle forehand half-volley and a stunning forehand passing shot, letting out a resounding ''Come On!''

He kept piling the pressure on his French rival with aggressive returns and closed out the set by holding at love, having lost just four points on his serve in the whole set.

Gasquet was made to pay for his mistakes at the start of the second set and handed another break to Federer when he netted a backhand in the net. The Frenchman gave an incredulous look when Federer hit a superb backhand return to reach 0-30 on Gasquet's serve in the seventh game before earning three break points with a stunning forehand. Gasquet saved the first, but went long on the second.

The 26th-ranked Frenchman fought hard at the start of the third set and came more often to the net, only to be destroyed by Federer's pinpoint passing shots.

Gasquet finally dropped his serve for the fourth time in the fifth game, surrendering on his backhand after a baseline rally before Federer broke again for a 5-2 lead. Federer then held at love, sealing victory with a drop shot that Gasquet did not chase.

Date: 23rd November 2014, Source: AP

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Federer hands Switzerland first Davis Cup title

Roger Federer handed Switzerland a historic first Davis Cup title after a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Richard Gasquet in the first reverse singles sealed a 3-1 victory for the visitors against France in the 2014 Davis Cup Final.

In front of a new world record crowd of 27,448 in Lille’s Stade Pierre Mauroy, the 17-time Grand Slam champion was in total control of a match that lasted just one hour and 42 minutes. The result put his country in the history books as just the 14th nation to win the Davis Cup trophy in the competition’s 115-year history.

Federer’s straight-sets win over Gasquet followed his victory with world No. 4 Stan Wawrinka in Saturday’s doubles, in which they defeated Gasquet and Julien Benneteau 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to put the visitors 2-1 up ahead of the last day.

On Friday Wawrinka had scored the first point for the Swiss with a four-set win against Tsonga, but Monfils made it 1-1 for France with a straight-sets defeat of Federer.

Federer’s performance on Sunday banished thoughts of that inglorious loss on the opening day and by lifting the Davis Cup trophy with his country the world No. 2 has plugged one of the few remaining holes in his resume.

“I’m unbelievably happy. Amazing feeling to be celebrating with my friends,” said Federer. “Just a great match, great atmosphere. It was a beautiful weekend for tennis.”

“We fought hard for it, I’ve been playing this game for almost 15 years now and clearly I’ve never come as close as this last weekend. I’m happy I was able to stay calm and play a good match when I had to and I’m happy for all the guys on the team.”

Federer was quick to pay tribute to teammate Wawrinka’s vital role in Switzerland’s triumph, and to the medical team that helped him recover from the back injury that last week threatened to derail his Davis Cup campaign. “Everybody worked incredibly hard to get me match ready, and Stan has put in so much effort over the years and played an unbelievable weekend, and that’s what gave me the opportunity today. I’m very much aware of that and this one’s for the boys. This is not for me, this is for them.”

It was a devastating result for France, with captain Arnaud Clement unable to play his No. 1 player Tsonga in the crunch encounter, relying instead on the less experienced services of world No. 26 Gasquet, playing in his first live reverse singles rubber since 2007 and in possession of a 2-12 losing record against Federer. As Clement explained later, Tsonga had suffered a recurrence of an arm injury during his match on Friday which left him unable to take any further part in the Davis Cup Final.

Federer was on the attack from the start on Sunday while Gasquet was never able to make any impression on his Swiss opponent’s serve.

The Swiss broke Gasquet in the third game of the first set and had chances to go a double break up in the Frenchman’s next two service games, but Gasquet withstood the pressure before Federer served out the set in 44 minutes, sealing an impressive love service game with a cross court forehand winner.

With the cowbells in the vast converted football stadium clanging ever louder, Federer swiftly took first blood in the second set when Gasquet missed a backhand return. Although Gasquet held his own serve with ease he was still getting few chances in Federer’s service games and with the match racing away from the hosts, Federer struck again, two stunning returns on Gasquet’s serve helping him to a 5-2 lead. A game later Federer had the second set, clinched with a drop shot that left his opponent standing dazed at the back of the court.

With their man two sets down, the French crowd did their best to lift Gasquet and there were signs that he was fighting back early in the third set: he withstood four break points on his serve in the opening game, and having only won seven points on Federer’s serve through the first two sets, posed more of a threat in the fouth game, taking the 17-time Grand Slam champion to deuce for the first time in the match. But still Gasquet was unable to impose himself in that crucial fourth game.

Gasquet and France’s fate was effectively sealed in the very next game, in which a superb volley from Federer helped him to secure the break. Gasquet’s serve buckled under the pressure again two games later, and Federer secured Switzerland’s historic triumph by serving out to love, a neat drop shot providing the cue for Federer to drop to his knees in celebration as his jubilant teammates rushed onto the court.

“It's an amazing feeling. The best,” said Wawrinka. “We all know how it's great to watch such an amazing player when he's playing good tennis.”

“He was playing fast. He was very focused and making very few mistakes. I was not even able to have a break point,” said Gasquet. “It was difficult for me to give him problems. We are all disappointed. I would have liked to do more for the team because the crowd was ready, ready to support me to the end.  In that situation, the only thing you want to do is play a fourth or fifth set just to please the crowd.”

Switzerland becomes the first new nation to have its name etched on the historic Davis Cup trophy since Serbia in 2010.

As well as adding something new to his list of glittering achievements, Federer set a new record on Sunday as the most successful Swiss player in the history of Davis Cup. His defeat of Gasquet was his 50th victory in the competition, moving him past Jakob Hlasek for most total wins in the competition.

Wawrinka, meanwhile, becomes the first person since Andre Agassi in 1992 to win his maiden Grand Slam title and lift his first Davis Cup trophy in the same year.

For France, captain Clement remains in the hunt for a tenth Davis Cup title. “Right now it's tough. It's difficult to accept that loss for all of us, for the players, for the staff, and also for the fans. They believed we could win. The quality of great champions is to be able to bounce back, to take the lessons and come back very strongly.”

Date: 23rd November 2014, Source: Davis Cup

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Swiss praise for Bryan brothers' coach

Switzerland captain Severin Luthi's decision to hire Bob and Mike Bryan's coach to help his team prepare for the Davis Cup final doubles match proved to be a masterstroke.

The Swiss team appointed Dave Macpherson as a consultant ahead of the final against France, and his strategic advice paid off as Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka beat Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in straight sets Saturday, giving Switzerland a 2-1 lead.

Macpherson is a former Australian player who has been mentoring the Bryans since 2005. The American twins finished at the top of the doubles rankings for a record 10th time this year, and for the sixth consecutive season.

''I think he's been very helpful for us. We had a good, long conversation about doubles. Not just yesterday and today, but in previous days,'' said Federer after the 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory. ''I'm so happy that Severin had the idea to contact David, and David was ready to jump onboard and help us.''

Federer and Wawrinka, who won Olympic gold together in 2008, ended a four-game losing streak in the Davis Cup at the right time, securing their first doubles win on clay.

They played aggressively from the start against the French pair, taking their chance on every weak second ball and bossing exchanges at the net with a commanding presence.

''I think we were perfectly prepared,'' said Federer. ''Obviously you have to be able to execute it. I think Stan did that unbelievably well today. I tried to keep up. Severin kept us motivated and going. It was a cool last sort of 24 hours.''

The French decided to send Gasquet and Benneteau for the doubles after resting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for Sunday's reverse singles. But Luthi said all their opponents' options had been carefully analyzed.

''We talked about the possibilities the French have,'' Luthi said. ''I think it was a big advantage that David knows all the French players, doubles players in general well ... It was a great preparation.''

Date: 23rd November 2014, Source: AP

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Switzerland on the brink of Davis Cup glory after doubles win

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka took a crucial lead in the 2014 Davis Cup Final on Saturday with a straight-sets defeat of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet.

The Swiss pair validated captain Severin Luthi’s bold move to put them in for the doubles instead of the nominated Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer, defeating Benneteau and Gasquet 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours 12 minutes.

Looking like a different person to the player who lost to Gael Monfils on Friday, Federer was a commanding presence in a match where the visitors gained in stature while the French pair’s resistance faded. Wawrinka continued the high-energy display that saw him defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the opening match and now the Swiss have a vital 2-1 lead going into Sunday.

It was quite a turnaround for the Swiss in this tense encounter in Lille, Federer and Wawrinka producing a fine performance to show why they were the 2008 Olympic gold medallists. The victory also ended a run of four losses for the pair together in Davis Cup, and marked their first match win on clay.

In contrast Benneteau and Gasquet, playing together in Davis Cup for the first time, never quite found their groove, and were left to rue a cluster of missed opportunities in the second set which could have turned the match had they been taken.

“I'm very happy, of course, that we played so well today.  It's always a pleasure playing with Stan. But I think today we played exceptionally well,” said Federer. “Nothing's won really yet, but clearly it could be a big point.”

On the subject of his back, Federer said he is feeling good after the doubles. “For me I think probably a doubles is a proper test, as well, because you got to keep serve and volleying, be explosive all the time.  Yeah, I'm very relieved to do that, I'm actually feeling really well… So, got one more match tomorrow. I'll try to play my best tomorrow. Hopefully I'll feel fine again.”

Wawrinka, who turned in his second stunning performance in two days, said, “I feel that I'm playing well, good tennis. I'm great on the court, a lot of confidence. You know, I'm here to go for the win, not to expect something else. I need to try everything I have in my racket to win those matches.”

The first set was tight, with entertaining rallies from the start thrilling the 27,360 fans crammed into the Stade Pierre Mauroy, among them French President Francois Hollande. The Swiss got the first chances though on Benneteau’s serve in the sixth game after errors from both Frenchmen gave them two break points.

Benneteau, at No. 5 the man on court with the highest doubles ranking, saved the first break point with a smash but Wawrinka sent a return flying past Gasquet for the Swiss to go 4-2 up. To loud cries of “Hopp Suisse” from the 2,700 visiting fans, Federer and Wawrinka carried that momentum through the remainder of the first set, Federer serving it out after 28 minutes.

Gasquet and Benneteau got their first chance to break in the second game of the second set, capitalising on two failed serve-and-volley attempts by the Swiss pair to bring up 30-40 on Federer’s serve. The Swiss No. 1 got out of trouble with a smash to cries of “Come on!” from the Swiss contingent.

Two games later France had two more break points on Wawrinka’s serve, but couldn’t convert either of them, the home pair twice finding the net cord and having to watch as the ball bounced out on the other side. At 4-4, the hosts got two further chances on the Australian Open champion’s serve. The first was set up by a Benneteau winner that fizzed between Federer and Wawrinka, but Federer cleared it with a high backhand smash for deuce; the second came after Wawrinka sent a forehand wide, but the world No. 4 produced a 145 mph serve to hold and subdue the home crowd.

Those five break points in the middle of the second set were to be the last chances Benneteau and Gasquet could muster as the Swiss piled on the pressure to get two more break points on Benneteau’s serve at 5-4. The French got out of trouble there, but two games later the Swiss broke Gasquet for a 6-5 lead before Wawrinka served out the second set to love.

The Swiss looked ever more comfortable, benefiting from Swiss captain Luthi’s decision to hire David Macpherson, coach of doubles world No. 1 Bob and Mike Bryan, as a consultant to the team for the tie. Benneteau and Gasquet’s lack of recent matches both individually and as team was increasingly a factor for the hosts. The pair won a bronze doubles medal together at London 2012 but hadn’t played together competitively since March 2013, and last teamed on clay in 2007.

Federer and Wawrinka had their first opportunity of the third set on Gasquet’s serve in the third game but the French saved two break points to keep hanging on. But at 2-2 the Swiss got three more break points on the Benneteau serve, with Wawrinka sealing the crucial break at the third time of asking with a forehand between the French pair.

Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Benneteau hit the first two double faults of the match to give the Swiss their first match point. France managed to cling on to make Switzerland serve for the match and Federer swiftly followed through, serving out to love as Wawrinka sealed the vital win with a cross court backhand volley.

“I could have played better,” said Gasquet afterwards. "I was not able to make the breakpoints I had in the second set. If we would have had a break, of course that doesn't mean we would have won, but we would have been in a better position for winning this second set where we had five breakpoints.

“I’m disappointed with the match, but the opponents played extremely well. They are extremely strong. They had very good returns. They played very interesting combinations. It was impressive.”

The Swiss are now one win away from winning the Davis Cup for the first time in history, with Federer able to clinch it if he can defeat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first reverse singles on Sunday. But amid rumours of an arm injury to Tsonga, both teams have until one hour before the match to make substitutions.

“Of course it's going to be very, very difficult now, with a lot of hope in these doubles,” said French captain Arnaud Clement. “We have to do something big, very big. We still have a chance, and we're going to try as hard as possible.  It's a big challenge, big challenge for us, to beating No. 2 and 4 in the world in the final of Davis Cup.”

“But even if we have a little chance, we're going to try.”

Date: 23rd November 2014, Source: Davis Cup

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Beaten Federer consoled by shaking 'ghost' off his back

Despite his defeat by Gael Monfils in Friday's second singles rubber of the Davis Cup final, Roger Federer found something to smile about as the Swiss got "a ghost" off his back.

The 17-times grand slam champion, who lost 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 as France drew level 1-1 following Stan Wawrinka's opening victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, explained that the recent discomfort he felt in his back began to ease the longer the contest went on.

"It wasn't all negative. I started to feel better as the match went on. That's very encouraging," Federer told a news conference.

"You don't have to be in unbelievably excruciating pain but it takes a while for it to leave your mind. It's like a ghost.

"But that's why it was good for me to play three sets today. It definitely gives us a lot of information. I would think that I'm going to get better as the weekend goes on."

Switzerland captain Severin Luthi now has to decide whether to pair Federer and Wawrinka in Saturday's doubles.

He named Michael Lammer and Marcio Chiudinelli at Thursday's draw and has until one hour before the match to change his lineup.

Asked if he was able to play three days in a row, Federer sounded optimistic.

"I would be ready to do that if, as ever, it's the best choice," he said.

"I know there are less risks than a few days ago, or less than this morning, so I'm making myself available for the team as much as I can, 100 percent, not only as a player but in whatever role I can play," added Federer.

"I'm there to support them and support the team. This is what I always do."

Wawrinka said he was ready to play on Saturday when the Swiss pair will face Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteau unless France captain Arnaud Clement decides to replace the latter with Tsonga.

"I'm always ready to play everything. But we'll do like we always do...we'll discuss and see where we are," said Wawrinka who was impressive in his 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Tsonga.

Date: 21st November 2014, Source: Reuters

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France levels tie against Switzerland in Davis Cup

Roger Federer's valiant attempt to shake off a back injury backfired spectacularly when the Swiss 17-time Grand Slam champion was swept aside by Gael Monfils Friday as France leveled the Davis Cup final at 1-1 on Friday.

Monfils triumphed 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and posted his first win on clay over Federer, who decided to play despite the injury that forced him to pull out of the title match at the ATP World Tour Finals last Sunday.

Federer had only two short training sessions earlier this week and looked out of sorts while Monfils hit 44 winners including 10 aces. The Swiss, who is chasing a maiden win in the team competition, dropped his serve five times and could not convert the two break points he earned.

It was a stark contrast to Federer's superb display in London last week, where he eased past opponents but hurt his back during his semifinal victory over Davis Cup teammate Stan Wawrinka. Federer, however, said switching from hard court to clay and being short of practice was the main reason for his loss, rather than pain.

''Clearly I did feel, not having hit and played and moved at all for five days, and Gael did play well,'' he said. ''It's not like I couldn't play at all. It was a proper match, and he was the better player at the end.''

Federer believes he needs to spend more time on court to rediscover his game and is ready for Saturday's doubles.

''I would be ready to do that if ever it's the best choice,'' the 33-year-old said. ''As I said before, I'm waiting for better things this weekend. I'm coming out of the match without any pain, which is good, too. It was not a five setter with me totally exhausted.''

Earlier, Wawrinka had put the Swiss ahead by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Monfils sealed his win in less than two hours on his first match point with a backhand down the line, getting a measure of revenge after his tough loss to the Swiss in the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, when the Frenchman lost in five sets after going up two sets to one and failing to convert two match points.

If Federer plays the doubles, he will be teaming up with Wawrinka. The Australian Open champion started strong against Tsonga and overcame a second-set lapse by regaining control of the opening singles match with an aggressive display that paid off.

Wawrinka, who scored 25 points at the net, closed out the match with a winning volley, then pointed to his head with his index finger, his trademark celebration gesture.

''My strength is playing aggressive, I could not win that match staying on the baseline,'' he said. ''I had to come forward.''

Wawrinka took control of rallies with his deep groundstrokes. He converted his second break point for a 3-1 lead as he won eight consecutive points and took the Frenchman's serve again.

Tsonga had to fight hard in the opening game of the second set to hold after saving another break point with a fierce smash.

Wawrinka did not react but his play dropped off while Tsonga started to serve better. He put the Swiss under pressure in the fourth game with a series of good returns and Wawrinka handed him the break with a double fault.

Tsonga stayed in control to level the tie at one set apiece but showed his nerves in the sixth game of the third set, hitting three unforced errors including a double fault to drop his serve.

The fourth-ranked Swiss continued to put Tsonga on the back foot by taking all the risks on his opponent's second serve and broke immediately with another superb backhand at the start of the fourth set. He frustrated Tsonga with a series of backhand and forehand winners in the seventh game as the Frenchman dropped his serve again.

"I was confident. I showed him on the court that I was better than he was," said Wawrinka.

Tsonga agreed with his rival.

"Stan was good today. He played a good match. That's it. There is nothing to say really," he said.

Switzerland is bidding for its first Davis Cup title, while France is seeking its 10th. This is the 13th meeting between the teams, with France leading 10-2.

Date: 21st November 2014, Source: AP

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Federer to face Monfils in Davis Cup final

Saying he has recovered from a back injury, Roger Federer has the chance to finally win one of the only notable titles missing from his collection.

Federer will play Gael Monfils on Friday in the second singles match as Switzerland takes on France in the final of the Davis Cup.

Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka will open the best-of-five series on indoor clay against France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in this northern French city.

Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, was doubtful for the final after injuring his back last week during his three-set win over Wawrinka in the semifinals at the ATP finals in London. The injury forced him to pull out of the title match against Novak Djokovic on Sunday.

Federer said a final practice session hours before Thursday's draw convinced him he would be able to step on court Friday. Whether he is 100 percent fit remains uncertain.

''We'll see tomorrow how it goes, but I practiced well today... and I was really pleased to see that I was able to give it a go,'' the second-ranked Federer said.

''If there was a risk it would impact the rest of my life, obviously I would not play,'' he added. ''But I had similar problems in the past and I can draw from that experience to know what I can actually do.''

Along with an Olympic gold medal in singles, a Davis Cup title is the only major hole in the 33-year-old Federer's resume.

Switzerland is bidding for its first Davis Cup title, while France is seeking its 10th. This is the 13th meeting between the two nations, with France leading 10-2.

The doubles on Saturday will pit French pair Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet against Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer, but team captains can change their lineup up to one hour before the match. If Federer is judged fit enough to play over three days, he is expected to be picked for the doubles alongside Wawrinka.

In the reverse singles Sunday, Federer will play Tsonga, and Wawrinka will face Monfils in the potentially decisive fifth match.

Federer's presence is a huge boost for the Swiss team, which has won just one of the 10 ties it has played without him in the top-tier World Group since his debut in the competition.

The French players played down Federer's injury, saying they never thought he would withdraw from the tie at the 27,000-capacity Pierre Mauroy Stadium.

''He had a four-day rest period,'' said Monfils, who has never beaten Federer on clay in four matches. ''Just before that he was playing his best tennis ever. If he's there, it's because he feels good and he wants to win this competition. If Roger decided to play, it's because he feels he's able to win the match, to beat me.''

Monfils is preparing for a rematch of his epic quarterfinal against Federer at the U.S. Open in September, when the Frenchman lost in five sets after going up two sets to one and failing to convert two match points.

''For sure I will have this special match in my mind,'' Monfils said. ''But this one will be different. You have someone with whom you can share your emotions during the match: the captain, who can help me if maybe I'm tight in the match.''

French captain Arnaud Clement said Monfils' current form was the decisive factor when he picked him over Richard Gasquet.

Wawrinka, meanwhile, said he has recovered faster than expected from his loss to Federer in London last Saturday, when he wasted four match points.

''It was easier than I thought,'' Wawrinka said. ''First I was destroyed, and it was difficult on Sunday, too, when I learned about Roger's injury. But when I came here on Monday, something really positive started, and I was surprised how easy it was to switch.''

Date: 20th November 2014, Source: AP

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All smiles in Swiss camp despite Federer fitness race

There have been two questions on everyone’s lips ahead of the 2014 Davis Cup Final at the Stade Mauroy in Lille this weekend.

How is Roger Federer’s back and how is the morale in the Swiss camp after Saturday’s semifinal match between Federer and Stan Wawrinka at the ATP World Tour Finals in London?

The first, it seems, is a lot harder to answer than the second.

Speaking about his ailment at the pre-draw press conference in Lille on Tuesday, the 17-time Grand Slam champion said: “It's definitely not good enough to practice. I wish progress would be faster, but we're trying hard. But I know I don't have a month ahead of me to get better. I need to get better quickly. But I can't give you a precise percentage.

“We're heading in that direction. I feel it's definitely a little bit better than it was on Saturday night and Sunday and also Monday. I wish I could be on the practice courts, but I can't be there yet. I'm hopeful for tomorrow.”

And in response to questions about the relationship between the Swiss No. 1 and his long-time friend and teammate, Federer had this to say: “We had a conversation after the match. Everything's totally relaxed about the situation. There's no hard feelings whatsoever. We're having a good time here. We are friends, not enemies.”

Amid all the media frenzy about Federer’s back injury, Wawrinka quietly put in some of the best tennis of his season at the year-end finals in London and finding form at the right time for the Swiss No. 2 could prove pivotal in the Davis Cup Final against France.

“For me, the week at the ATP World Tour Finals was big,” reflected Wawrinka . Was really important, for sure. It’s not easy, especially to have four match points against Roger, to be playing the way I was playing.

“It's more easy to think about the next step, what I'm going to do after, stay positive, when I give everything on the court. Even if I lost with match point, the week was amazing. Now I need to adapt on the clay court. I did a long session today, almost three hours, yesterday one hour easy. I feel okay so far, so we'll see.”

For the French team, speculation about Federer’s participation in this year’s final is proving an unwelcome distraction and one that captain Arnaud Clement dismissed.

“We are not thinking that Roger Federer will not play on Friday,” said Clement. “We have been preparing for 10 days, and we are prepared to play the Swiss team with Federer and Wawrinka in it.

“Many people asked questions about Federer, even before he pulled out on Sunday. But what we are going to play is not Federer's team, it is the Swiss team.”

The only certainty in Clement’s mind was the fact that this weekend’s final was going to be an emotional and spine-tingling affair for the players as they compete in front of 27,000 fans, most of whom will be wearing the blue of the home team.

Clement added:  “Davis Cup is a different atmosphere. But I don't feel my players are frightened by anything. On the contrary, they're very excited.

“What will be even more exciting will be to see the stadium totally full with the crowd. It's going to be totally different, for all of us, for the players, and the Swiss players, too.”

The final starts on Friday 21 November at 2pm local time (1pm GMT).

Date: 19th November 2014, Source: Davis Cup

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Federer and Wawrinka play down London row

With the Davis Cup final against France looming, Roger Federer and his Swiss team mate Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday played down talk of an internal row, sparked by the pair's fiery clash at the ATP World Tour Finals last week.

During their semi-final encounter in London, which Federer won 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(6), TV footage showed Wawrinka asking Federer’s box to keep quiet between serves and complaining to chair umpire Cedric Mourier that his opponent's wife Mirka had heckled him.

Both players, however, talked down the incident at a news conference in Lille, where the Davis Cup final will be played on clay from Friday to Sunday.

"We had a conversation after the match. Everything's totally relaxed about the situation. We're old enough. We have Severin (Luthi) as a coach and Davis Cup captain and friend who was there, as well,” Federer said.

"I just wanted to see if there was any hard feelings because it was probably one of the loudest moments of the match, around 5-4, 5-5 score. Clearly a lot of noise.

"Yeah, like I said, there's no hard feelings whatsoever. We're having a good time here. We are friends, not enemies. But obviously it was maybe one of those moments, heat-of-the-moment situation.”

Wawrinka said: “I think first thing, we had no problem together. We talked about that already straight after the match. Not only about that, about many things. We know how to deal when we have a small thing like that.

"There's not much to say because it's become a big deal because of the press, because of you. But for us it's nothing really. It took us five minutes to talk about that and to think about the next main goal that we have - the Davis Cup this weekend."

Date: 18th November 2014, Source: Reuters

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Federer in Davis Cup fitness battle

Switzerland's hopes of a first ever Davis Cup win lay in the balance on Monday as the team awaited word on just how badly Roger Federer had injured his back ahead of this week's final against France in Lille.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner shocked thousands of fans and his opponent Novak Djokovic in London Sunday evening when he withdrew from the final of the season-ending World Tour Championship saying he was not match fit.

Ironically the player who helped inflict the back injury on the Swiss great was none other than Davis Cup teammate and close friend Stan Wawrinka.

The two played a thrilling, but punishing three hour semi-final on Saturday evening which Federer, 33, won in three gruelling sets, saving four match points along the way.

Later in an on-court interview he told a hushed crowd that he had tried everything to be able to play in the prestigious tournament.

"I tried everything I could last night and today - painkillers, rest - until the very end, but I can't compete at this level with Novak. In a final like this and at my age, it would be too risky. I hope you understand."

What was not clear, however, was just how badly injured he is. Federer has a history of back pain, but until last weekend he had been injury-free throughout a season in which he has played some superb tennis.

He is hoping that the back spasms he felt will clear over the next couple of days, allowing him to be able to begin adapting to the indoor claycourt that France as hosts have chosen for the final.

There was some astonishment in the French press over how hard Federer and Wawrinka had gone at it in London, knowing that the Davis Cup final was only a few days away.

Australian Open winner Wawrinka admitted that he could suffer psychologically and physically from the heart-breaking loss and there were unconfirmed reports of some friction between the two after the match.

Swiss press reports said that Wawrinka had been irked by someone sitting in Federer's box with suggestions it could have been his wife Mirka.

Former great and now television commentator John McEnroe, meanwhile, spoke of the two Swiss players having a long and tense discussion in the locker-room afterwards.

Whatever the truth was there, a Federer withdrawal from the Lille contest would be a huge and potentially lethal body blow to Swiss hopes.

Wawrinka at fourth is comfortably ranked above all the French players, but after him the fall off in the Swiss team is steep with Marco Chiudinelli 212th and Michael Lammer 508th.

In stark contrast it was all plain sailing for the French who are seeking a 10th Davis Cup title in all and a first since 2001.

Captain Arnaud Clement cloistered his team of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and reserve Gilles Simon in Bordeaux where they honed their claycourt skills away from prying eyes. Doubles specialist Julien Benneteau, who was playing in the doubles in London, was to link up with them in Lille.

Coach Lionel Roux said the team would not be distracted by the doubts surrounding Federer's participation.

"I don't think Roger's injury is too serious," he said. "If he really can't play in the Davis Cup it would be very sad. But in my view it was just preventative.

"Looking at the TV footage of his semi-final I saw no signs of him being badly injured. He was struggling a bit only because it had been such a tough match.

"All the players are carrying injuries by the end of the season and we know that Roger has had problems with his back before.

"But he is a real pro and he simply weighed up the pros and the cons and decided against playing the final."

Date: 17th November 2014, Source: AFP

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France to host Switzerland on clay in Davis Cup final

France will play the Davis Cup final against Switzerland on indoor clay in a bid to thwart Roger Federer's quest for a first win in the team competition.

The final will be held at the 27,000-capacity Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille from November 21-23, under a retractable roof.

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

With the best-of-five series scheduled five days after the ATP finals, France's decision Monday looks like a strategic move because Stan Wawrinka and Federer, who are expected to play at the hardcourt tournaments till the year-end, could struggle to adapt to clay.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion and Wawrinka, who won Olympic gold together in doubles, are favorites to win the trophy. But they will face a strong France team including Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet.

''It won't have a big impact on the result,'' the 12th-ranked Tsonga said of the surface. ''All the players that will be involved are capable of playing well on all surfaces.''

Switzerland reached the final only once before, losing in 1992 against a United States team of Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras.

Date: 22nd September 2014, Source: AP

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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

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