FRIBOURG, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss team of Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka were swept out of the Davis Cup when the US team won both the singles matches on Friday and then won the doubles on Saturday 11 February. In the first match Wawrinka went down in five sets against Mardy Fish, who won 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7. Roger Federer was then overpowered by the giant (2.06 metre, or 6ft 9in) American John Isner, who dominated with his serve, and won in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2. The Americans then rubbed salt into the Swiss wounds when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan won the doubles against the Swiss Olympic doubles champions 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – It took only three minutes for Switzerland to finish off Australian Davis Cup hopes in a match interupted by bad light, 19 August. The match was suspended with Stanislas Wawrinka just one game from an historic win against Leyton Hewitt, with the overall match tied at 2-2 after Roger Federer won the first of the reverse singles. The Swiss beat Hewitt on Friday but Wawrinka lost to Bernard Tomic and the Swiss, Olympic champions in Beijing, also slipped up in the doubles on Saturday. The win means that Switzerland will compete in the World Group in 2012, while Australia will be in in the Asia/Oceania regional competition. It was also a bad weekend for Australian rugby as Ireland beat them in the World Cup.
The Davis Cup final will feature Spain travelling to Argentina. Spain swept past France 4-1 while Argentina pulled off a surprise 2-3 victory over Serbia. Novak Djokovic was forced to retire with back pain in his match against Juan Martin Del Potro.
Links to other sites: Sydney Morning Herald, TSR,
International sports, Davis Cup tennis
Belgrade, Serbia (GenevaLunch) – Novak Djokovic led Serbia to a 3-2 victory over France in the final of the Davis Cup, Sunday 5 December in Belgrade. France was 2-1 ahead following the doubles on Saturday but Djokovic and Victor Troicki won their matches in straight sets to take the trophy in what team captain Bogdan Obradovic called the greatest sporting achievement in the history of Serbia. Novak Djolovic beat Gael Monfils 6-2 6-2 6-4 and then watched Troicki dominate Michael Llodra 6-2 6-2 6-3.
Barcelona, Spain (GenevaLunch) - Spain confirmed its place at the top of the tennis world with a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the final of the Davis Cup on the clay courts of Barcelona. Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer won the singles on Friday to give the Spanish a 2-0 lead and their doubles team of Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco finished the task on Saturday.
Links to other sites: Davis Cup, Eurosport/Yahoo
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland drew Spain to kick off the Davis Cup in March 2010, which team captain Severin Luthi describes as “one of the toughest draws you can have.” Spain was the 2008 champion and is the top seed. Luthi notes that it’s too early for Roger Federer to say whether or not he’ll participate in March. Federer’s 20 September 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 win over Italy’s Potito Starace ensured Switzerland’s place in the Davis Cup. Full list of draws
Genoa, Italy (GenevaLunch) – Roger Federer overcame jetlag, slow clay courts and rain, not to mention Potito Storace, to give Switzerland a winning position in their World Group play-off against Italy. He won 6-3 6-0 6-4 to add to the two Swiss singles victories on Friday, which were followed by a loss in the doubles as Federer was rested.
(GenevaLunch) – Switzerland was defeated by the United States, 4-1, but without Roger Federer for the Swiss and with Andy Roddick winning both his matches.
Mar del Plata, Argentina (GenevaLunch) – Spain won the 2008 Davis Cup despite the absence through injury of their world number one, Rafael Nadal. Argentina were hampered by an injury to Juan Martin del Potro on the first day which also deprived them of their best doubles pair. The deciding match saw Spain’s Fernando Verdasco outlast Jose Acasuso 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. It was the third Spanish win, following 1992 and 1996. Details, Guardian
(GenevaLunch) – Rafael Nadal has decided not to compete in the Masters in Shanghai 9 November, which he describes as “one of the most difficult decisions in my career due to the importance of the event” and his fondness for the fans and organizers in China.
Madrid, Spain (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland will play the United States in the next round of the Davis Cup, 6-8 March 2009. The match will be played in the US. The draw for the 2009 matches, in Madrid today, has Spain playing Serbia, which means that Rafael Nadal will be up against Novak Djokovic.
Madrid, Spain (GenevaLunch) - Switzerland beat Belgium 4-1 to secure their place in the 16-team elite World Group for next season. Rafael Nadal was in superb form as he led Spain to victory over the USA in the Davis Cup semi-final.
Lausanne, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – Vaud’s Stanislas Wawrinka will open play Friday afternoon at the Davis Cup, at the Malley ice rink in Lausanne, playing Belgian Steve Darcis. The game will be followed by Roger Federer playing Kristof Vliegen.
