DYNAMIC DUO OF STAN WAWRINKA & ROGER FEDERER BEAT THE FRENCH TEAM IN STRAIGHT SETS , TENNIS NEWS HERE BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 22nd November 2014

DYNAMIC DUO OF STAN WAWRINKA & ROGER FEDERER BEAT THE FRENCH TEAM IN STRAIGHT SETS , TENNIS NEWS HERE BY RICKY DIMON

epa04499669 Roger Federer (L) of Switzerland talks to his teammate Stanislas Wawrinka (R) during the second day's double match of the Davis Cup World Final between France and Switzerland at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, 22 November 2014. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Swiss win doubles rubber, give Federer chance to clinch Davis Cup title

By Ricky Dimon

Switzerland is one match victory away from its first Davis Cup title after winning Saturday’s doubles rubber against France in Lille. The visitors were led by the 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning duo of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, who blew past Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in just two hours and 12 minutes.

As a result, the Swiss will triumph on Sunday if either Federer beats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or if Wawrinka gets the best of Gael Monfils.

Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a ball to Gael Monfils of France during the second single match of the Davis Cup Final match between France and Switzerland at the Stadium Pierre Mauroy in Lille, France, 21 November 2014. EPA/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

Federer and Tsonga will do battle in the fourth rubber, and first of the final day. An intriguing head-to-head series currently has Federer with an 11-5 advantage, including 2-1 on clay. The two veterans have squared off twice in 2014, with the Swiss getting the job done 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-1 on the slow stuff in Monte-Carlo before Tsonga pulled off a 7-5, 7-6(3) surprise in the Toronto final. In six best-of-five matches (all in Grand Slams, never in Davis Cup), Federer has four wins to the Frenchman’s two.

Both men are coming off disappointing first-day losses. The tie began with Tsonga going down to Stan Wawrinka in four sets while looking quite rusty, having played only six previous matches since the U.S. Open. Federer, of course, had to withdraw from the World Tour Finals championship match against Novak Djokovic due to a back problem. The world No. 2 got blown out by Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and looked far less than 100 percent, but he played much better tennis during the crucial doubles win. Aside from his injury-plagued blemish against Monfils, Federer has been outstanding this fall. With a first Davis Cup title virtually on his racket, Federer is unlikely to let such a huge opportunity go by the wayside.

Stan Wawrinka (SUI) vs. Gael Monfils (FRA)

Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland returns the ball to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France during their singles match on the first day of the Davis Cup World Group Final between France and Switzerland at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France, 21 November 2014. EPA/YOAN VALAT

If the tie goes five, it will all come down to the fifth career meeting between Wawrinka and Monfils. The head-to-head series stands at 2-2 and all four of their previous collisions have come on hard courts. They have not faced each other since the 2011 Australian Open, where Wawrinka prevailed 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-3. Three years later, of course, the Swiss achieved his greatest feat by winning in Melbourne. Wawrinka was inconsistent thereafter, but he heated back up with a semifinal showing in London prior to his 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 beatdown of Tsonga.

Similar to Tsonga, Monfils contested only seven matches in between the U.S. Open and the Davis Cup final. Very much unlike his teammate, some time off did not appear to do the world No. 19 any harm whatsoever. Monfils turned in an incredible performance against Federer and–as expected–positively thrived amidst a raucous atmosphere. If Tsonga somehow pulls off the upset and gives Monfils a chance, the French fans will be nothing less than out of control for a decisive fifth rubber. It would be the kind of theater for which Monfils lives.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Atp, Davis Cup, France, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland, Tennis

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10sBalls_com says:

November 22, 2014 at 5:46 pm

DYNAMIC DUO OF @stanwawrinka & @rogerfederer BEAT THE FRENCH TEAM IN STRAIGHT SETS, #TENNIS NEWS HERE BY RICKY DIMON http://t.co/VI1FfxEHqG
RD_Tennistalk says:

November 22, 2014 at 9:24 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: DYNAMIC DUO OF @stanwawrinka & @rogerfederer BEAT THE FRENCH TEAM IN STRAIGHT SETS, #TENNIS NEWS HERE BY RICKY DIMON htt…