Federer Declares He Will Play Davis Cup Competition Next Year

Written by: Staff on 8th December 2011

Federer Declares He Will Play Davis Cup Competition Next Year |

Whenever Roger Federer has declared one of the major remaining goals from his tennis career to win the Davis Cup for Switzerland, his pronouncement has been met with suspicion because of a habitual ‘less-than-part-time’ commitment to the cause.

However Federer has officially confirmed, barring injuries, Davis Cup now figures in his early year schedule for the first time since 2004 and he will lead the Swiss team in its’ World Group opening round tie against the United States (February 10-12) at home in Fribourg.

Switzerland is currently ranked 15th in the Davis Cup, with only Austria and Japan lower in next year’s World Group. But Switzerland captain Severin Luthi, a leading member of the Federer support team, has clearly been persuasive with the 30 year-old whose last February outing came against Romania in Bucharest, when he only had two of his 16 major titles to his name.

However Federer was involved in the selection process that struck upon Fribourg, situated 17 miles to the south-west of Berne on the cultural divide between French speaking and German Switzerland. The tie will be played on indoor clay and Federer last played in such conditions more than six years ago when he was part of the Swiss team that beat Great Britain 5-0 in Geneva.

The world no.3’s participation in an Olympic year will be welcome news to supporters of the historic team competition after Rafael Nadal announced he will not play Davis Cup tennis in 2012, just two hours after beating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro to seal Spain’s fifth title in Seville.

With Federer the 2009 French Open champion, and four times a runner up at Roland Garros, and Stanislas Wawrinka a winner of ATP World Tour titles on clay in Casablanca and Umag, the United States will be facing up to the potential of a World Group first round defeat on European indoor clay for the second time in three years.

In March 2010 Patrick McEnroe’s team suffered a 3-2 Belgrade exit against eventual champions Serbia and current captain Jim Courier is faced with somewhat of a dilemma over team selection.

John Isner and Sam Querrey contested last year’s Belgrade Open final on outdoor clay but the latter lost a live singles rubber against Santiago Giraldo in straight sets as the US beat Colombia 3-1 in Bogata during September 2010. In that same World Group relegation play-off tie Mardy Fish won both his singles rubbers and successfully teamed up with John Isner in the doubles.

Topics: Davis Cup, Roger Federer