U.S. Gears Up for Davis Cup Weekend Meeting With Switzerland
The 2012 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first round match between the United States and Switzerland will take place from Friday-Sunday, Feb. 10-12, in Fribourg, Switzerland, at the Fribourg Forum on a temporary indoor red clay court. The U.S. will play on the road for the fifth time in six times since it defeated Switzerland in the 2009 first round in Birmingham, Ala. The U.S. had played in four consecutive away times, before their last outing against Spain in Austin, Texas in the 2011 World Group quarterfinal. This first round tie will mark the fourth matchup overall between the U.S. and Switzerland in Davis Cup competition, with the U.S. leading the overall series 2-1. The first matchup between the U.S. and Switzerland occurred in the 1992 Davis Cup final, a 3-1 U.S. victory which current U.S. Captain Jim Courier clinched in the third singles rubber in Fort Worth, Texas (Andy Roddick and his family attended that final). It is Switzerland’s only appearance in the Davis Cup final. The next three meetings between the two nations have been first round contests. The United States beat Switzerland 4-1 in the 2009 first round in Birmingham, Ala., the last meeting between the two countries. Roger Federer did not compete for the Swiss in Birmingham, but he did record all three points in the 2001 first round tie in Switzerland for its only victory in the series.
Mardy Fish will compete as the U.S. team’s number one player for just the third time in his career. In the 2010 World Group Playoff in Colombia, Fish, playing at the number one position, became the first U.S. player to win three live rubbers in a single tie since Pete Sampras in 1995 Davis Cup Final. Fish won two five-set singles matches in Bogota (only the second American ever to do so in Davis Cup, matching Courier’s feat in the 1999 first round vs. Great Britain). and also won the doubles match with John Isner. In the 2011 quarterfinal against Spain, Fish spent more than eight hours on court, losing a five-set match to Feliciano Lopez and a four-set match to David Ferrer that featured two tie-breaks.
This will mark just the third Davis Cup tie in which the world number one doubles team of Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan will not compete together, as Bob Bryan and his wife recently gave birth to their first child. The brothers, who win 18 victories are the winningest team in U.S. Davis Cup history, are each 1-0 when playing separately in Davis Cup competition. Mike Bryan & Mardy Fish partnered to give the U.S. its only point in the 2008 4-1 semifinal loss in Spain, while Bob Bryan & John Isner kept the U.S. alive in the 2010 first round tie in Serbia, which the Serbians ultimately won 3-2.
Matches scheduled are as follows:
Friday, Feb. 10 at 1:00 p.m.
â–ºSingles A: Mardy Fish (U.S. No. 1) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI No. 2)
â–ºSingles B: John Isner (U.S. No. 2) vs. Roger Federer (SUI No. 1)
Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2:30 p.m.
â–ºDoubles: * Mike Bryan & Ryan Harrison (USA) vs. Roger Federer & Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
Sunday, Feb. 12 at Noon
â–ºSingles C: Mardy Fish (U.S.) vs. Roger Federer (SUI)
â–ºSingles D: John Isner (U.S.) vs. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
*Team captains may substitute the doubles team up to one hour before the match.
“He has been the second best clay court player in awhile for sure, for a bunch of years he has been head and shoulders the second best player behind Rafa and has beaten him on clay," said Fish of his matchup against the world number three-ranked Roger Federer. "Clay is obviously one of his strengths. He is obviously tough. This surface, this altitude and these balls will certainly play a little faster and hopefully help us. He is tough but he has got his work cut out for him in the first match and as do I. It is a long way from Sunday.”
The United States owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. The U.S. has a winning record against 35 countries of the 39 countries faced and a level record with two countries. The U.S. is undefeated versus 21 countries and holds an active winning streak against 33 nations. They lead all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles.
“Any time you are playing against a team that has Roger as part of the squad, it is going to be tough and we are not playing at home," said Isner. "But we are definitely capable of coming out here, playing well and coming out with a win. That is why we traveled all this way. We certainly have our work cut out for us, it is not the easiest match for sure but we are looking forward to it and we are all going to take the court confident and see what we can do.”
