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Federer and Wawrinka give Swiss Davis Cup final lead against France Federer and Wawrinka give Swiss Davis Cup final lead against France
(about 3 hours later)
Severin Lüthi does not appear to be one of life’s intuitive gamblers, and perhaps he risked no more than passing embarrassment in throwing a recovering Roger Federer into the doubles alongside Stanislas Wawrinka here on Saturday. Nonetheless, the captain surely was as relieved as he was overjoyed when Federer not only survived the examination of his suspect back but played some outstanding tennis to lead Switzerland to within one win of lifting the Davis Cup for the first time, at the 85th attempt. Severin Lüthi, not one of life’s intuitive gamblers, perhaps risked no more than passing embarrassment in throwing a recovering Roger Federer into the doubles alongside Stanislas Wawrinka here on Saturday. Nonetheless, the Swiss captain surely was as relieved as he was overjoyed when Federer not only survived the examination of his suspect back but played some outstanding tennis as his side moved to within one win of lifting the Davis Cup for the first time, at the 85th attempt.
If Federer can win the first reverse singles against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday,this championship could be over before the sun goes down. There would then be an almighty clanking of cowbells around Lille – provided the Frenchman is fit for the fight after pulling out of the doubles on the morning of the match. The alternatives are Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet, who crumbled as a unit on Saturday. If Federer can win the first reverse singles against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sundaythis championship could be over before the sun goes down. There would then be an almighty clanking of cowbells around Lille – provided the Frenchman is fit for the fight after pulling out of the doubles on the morning of the match. The alternatives are Julien Benneteau or Richard Gasquet, who crumbled as a unit on Saturday.
While it was Federer who sustained the charge, ignoring what pain might still have been tugging at his anaesthetised back, it was his batman Wawrinka who delivered the winning thrust. A sweetly struck backhand volley secured a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory after two hours and 10 minutes of minor magic in a packed Stade Pierre Mauroy. The Swiss were rarely in trouble, and all the agonising over the health of 33-year-old Federer ultimately counted for nothing in a tie billed as L’Ultime Combat. The French shuffled uneasily under questioning later, but the shaky party line seems to be that Tsonga was rested so he would be in best shape for Federer in the singles. We shall see soon enough. Federer, meanwhile, declared himself recovered from the back injury that put him out of the ATP World Tour Finals against Novak Djokovic in London last Sunday.
“I’m feeling really well,” he assured his compatriots, more than 3,000 of whom have made the 500-mile journey to the north of France. “I did not feel any muscle pain. I feel like I’m at 100%. I will give it everything I have.”
While it was Federer who sustained the charge on Saturday, it was his batman Wawrinka who delivered the winning thrust. A sweetly struck backhand volley secured a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory after two hours and 10 minutes of minor magic in a packed Stade Pierre Mauroy. The Swiss were rarely in trouble, and all the agonising over the health of 33-year-old Federer ultimately counted for nothing in a tie billed as L’Ultime Combat.
The French had a few looks, mainly in the long second set where they squandered five break points, but there was no denying Federer and Wawrinka, whose standout achievement in doubles was winning Olympic gold in Beijing six years ago. There has not been much joy for the coupling since.The French had a few looks, mainly in the long second set where they squandered five break points, but there was no denying Federer and Wawrinka, whose standout achievement in doubles was winning Olympic gold in Beijing six years ago. There has not been much joy for the coupling since.
Indeed, the numbers going in favoured the French. Although each pairing had 16 career wins against 10 losses, in six Davis Cup efforts Federer and Wawrinka won their first two matches then lost four on the spin, including their two appearances on clay. Benneteau and Gasquet, meanwhile, arrived with a 5-2 career record on clay, but had never teamed up in the Davis Cup. None of which any of them will have given the slightest consideration when they walked out to another rousing reception in this unique environment, a tennis arena fashioned from one end of Lille’s new football stadium to entertain 27,000-plus fans huddled under heaters hanging from a false ceiling attached to the retractable roof. Indeed, the numbers going in favoured the French. Although each pairing had 16 career wins against 10 losses, in six Davis Cup efforts Federer and Wawrinka won their first two matches then lost four on the spin, including their two appearances on clay. Benneteau and Gasquet, meanwhile, arrived with a 5-2 career record on clay, but had never teamed up in the Davis Cup.
After Friday’s singles finished all square, there could not have been a better scenario going into the doubles, a form of the game that resembles speed chess, so rapidly must each player pick either an unprotected part of the court or target an opponent’s weakness. None of which any of them will have given the slightest consideration when they walked out to another rousing reception in this unique environment, a tennis arena fashioned from one end of Lille’s new football stadium to entertain 27,000-plus fans huddled under heaters hanging from a false ceiling attached to the retractable roof. After the Friday singles finished all square, there could not have been a better scenario going into the doubles, a form of the game that resembles speed chess, so rapidly must each player pick either an unprotected part of the court or target an opponent’s weakness.
The Swiss weak spot was reckoned to be Federer’s back, an injury to which forced him to pull out of the ATP World Tour Finals against Novak Djokovic last Sunday and restricted his training schedule here to light work from Wednesday onwards. However, Lüthi was satisfied after watching them work out in the morning that his best player, in either discipline, would not break down, and that Stan was the man to help him. The Swiss weak spot was reckoned to be Federer’s back, which restricted his training schedule here to light work from Wednesday onwards. However, Lüthi decided soon after his Friday singles to pick his best player, in either discipline, confident he would not break down, and that Stan was the man to help him.
Lüthi could hardly have asked for a better start, Wawrinka’s drive volley breaking Benneteau’s serve in the sixth game and the first set was over in under half an hour. The Swiss survived a spirited counterattack in the second then, with Federer leaping high on the forehand side to put away another winner in the 12th game, took a two-set lead. When Wawrinka drove a forehand through the heart of the French defence to break on Benneteau’s serve in the fifth game of the third, the job was pretty much done. Lüthi could hardly have asked for a better start, Wawrinka’s drive volley breaking Benneteau’s serve in the sixth game on the way to an impressive hold at 6-3 in under half an hour.
The Swiss survived a spirited counter-attack in the second then, with Federer leaping high on the forehand side to put away another winner in the 12th game, took a two-set lead. When Wawrinka drove a forehand through the heart of the French defence to break on Benneteau’s serve in the fifth game of the third, the job was pretty much done.