Federer Aims at U.S. Team in Round One of Davis Cup Action
February 8, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
Switzerland’s Roger Federer is looking to recapture the emotion of Switzerland’s 2001 Davis Cup victory against the United States when the two nations meet again on a clay court in first round action of the Davis Cup this weekend. It was a19-year-old Federer who won three matches for a 3-2 victory in his hometown of Basel.
"I think it was my first emotional outburst on a tennis court because I was so exhausted on Sunday after winning singles, doubles and singles,” Federer said
Federer, who has 16 Grand Slam singles titles under his belt, has yet to capture a Davis Cup trophy. He has skipped the opening round of the Davis Cup since 2004, and changed his preparations to play Davis Cup this year.
“I’ve had a great run since last year’s U.S. Open, and haven’t lost until just the other week,” he said. “The transition to clay has been somewhat easy. Clay is good on the body.”
“For a bunch of years, he’s [Federer] been head and shoulders the second best (clay-court) player behind Rafa and has beaten him,” said U.S. Davis Cup team member Mardy Fish. “Clay is obviously one of his strengths. But he’s got his work cut out in the first match, as do I.”
