Switzerland and France Set for Davis Cup Title
The Davis Cup Final is set to begin on Friday from Lille, France and carries with it a number of intriguing storylines. The Swiss are seeking its first ever Davis Cup title, while the French are looking to capture their 10th title overall and first since 2001.
Roger Federer has been the focal point of a lot of the news this past week following his withdrawal from the ATP World Tour Finals title match against Novak Djokovic on Sunday. A back injury forced him out of the final and made him unsure if he would be able to play in the final this weekend, but Federer confirmed on Thursday that he is ready to return to action.
“If there was a risk it would impact the rest of my life, obviously I would not play,” said Federer. “But I had similar problems in the past and I can draw from that experience to know what I can actually do.”
There was also talk about a potential rift between Federer and Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka. In the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals, the third-seeded Wawrinka and Mirka Federer, the wife of Roger, exchanged some words. Wawrinka objected to the timing of Mirka’s cheering, to which she responded to by apparently calling Wawrinka a “crybaby.”
Both players quickly put an end to the rumor that there was tension between the two.
“I said there’s no hard feelings whatsoever. We’re having a good time here,” said Federer. “We are friends … not enemies.”
“We had no problem together. We talk about that already straight after the match. Not only about that, about many things,” Wawrinka added.
With that in the past, the two focus their attention on making history for Switzerland tennis. With no Davis Cup titles and its lone appearance in the final coming in 1992, a win over the French this weekend would be a momentous victory for the Swiss.
“It would be great and it would go down as a big moment in tennis history in Switzerland,” Federer told USA Today. “I see it more as something for fans, the Swiss federation, and for the other players on the team rather than something for me necessarily.”
A Davis Cup title is just about the only thing that has eluded Federer in his historic career. The all-time leader in career Grand Slams with 17 has posted an overall record of 48-16 in Davis Cup play, including 37-7 in singles matches.
While the Swiss team is top-heavy with Federer and Wawrinka, the French team is extremely deep. They present a squad with four players inside the top 30 that could cause some problems for Switzerland.
The best-of-five series will feature four singles matches and one doubles match. The opening contest will be played between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Stan Wawrinka, followed by Roger Federer against Gael Monfils.
â–ºJo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Stan Wawrinka
Tsonga and Wawrinka will begin the final with their singles match on Friday. The two have met five times previously; four of which were played on clay. The most recent meeting came in Madrid in May of 2013, with Wawrinka edging Tsonga 6-2, 6-7, 6-4. While Wawrinka won the Australian Open back in January, Tsonga’s lone title of 2014 came at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Tsonga became the first French player to win a tournament on Canadian soil. He knocked off world number one Novak Djokovic in the third-round before upending Federer in the final. He currently ranks 12th in the world and will look to get France on the board with a win over the fourth ranked player in the world.
â–ºRoger Federer vs. Gael Monfils
The second singles match on the slate will be a rematch of the fantastic U.S. Open quarterfinal bout from the summer. Monfils took Federer to five-sets in Flushing Meadows and actually had match point before Federer stormed back to take the final two sets.
In what is probably the most intriguing matchup of these finals, the eccentric Monfils takes on the stoic Federer in a match that will tip the scales of the Davis Cup. Federer leads the all-time matchup 8-2.
â–ºJulien Benneteau & Richard Gasquet vs. Marco Chiudinelli & Michael Lammer
The one doubles match of the final is where France’s depth should come into play. Benneteau & Gasquet are both ranked inside the top 26 of singles, while Chiudinelli is ranked 212th and Lammer is 508th.
Doubles can be a little different though and Benneteau & Gasquet don’t have much experience playing with each other. Gasquet paired with Tsonga in both of his qualifying doubles matches.
The final two matches of the finals will be the reverse of the first two, with Tsonga moving to play Federer and Monfils taking on Wawrinka.
If Switzerland is to have a chance, it will need a healthy Federer to step up big as the singles play will carry the Swiss. France’s depth and the ability to play on their home surface make them the favorite to take home their 10th Davis Cup title.
The action gets underway at 8:00 a.m. EST Friday morning and will feature the first two singles matches.
