TENNIS DAVIS CUP 2014 – Federer and Wawrinka beat Julien Benneteau and Gael Monfils 6-3 7-5 6-4 in two hours and 12 minutes in the Saturday’s doubles match in the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille to give the Swiss team a crucial point for 2-1 over nine-time Davis Cup champions from France. Federer could score the decisive third point in the first rubber singles match. Diego Sampaolo
Switzerland is just one point away from lifting their first Davis Cup Trophy in history 22 years after losing 1-3 in Fort Worth against a star-studded US team.
The doubles match was expected to be an exciting and unpredictable match but Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, 2008 Olympic champions, played the perfect match winning in straight sets over 2012 doubles Olympic bronze medallists Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet.
Federer and Wawrinka broke a four-match losing streak in the Davis Cup (including a defeat earlier this year against Kazakhstan). The star-studded Swiss team scored their first doubles team on clay. They hit 67 winners, including seven aces, and won 40 of their 53 points at the net
Peter Lammer and Marco Chiudinelli won the only doubles match this year in the first round match against Serbia, while Federer and Wawrinka lost their four previous doubles matches. However Swiss captain Severin Luthi’s decision to opt for the 2008 Olympic champions proved to be successful.
Federer and Wawrinka never dropped their serve and saved all the five break point chances they faced during the second set. Benneteau, Roland Garros doubles champion and semifinalist at the ATP World Tour Finals in London with Edouard Roger-Vasselin this year, played a solid match but it was not enough to pose a threat to the Swiss team despite the strong support from the French fans in the Stade Pierre Mauroy.
The first set went on serve until the sixth game when Wawrinka earned the first two break point chances at 15-40 with two backhand shots. Benneteau saved the first break point but Wawrinka got the break for 4-2 with a backhand volley. Federer held serve to 15 to wrap up the first set with 6-3 in 28 minutes. The Swiss team dropped just five service points and won 17 winners
The second set started with Benneteau on serve. The Frenchman hit an ace and two service winners to hold the serve to 30. Federer hit a volley into the net and faced a break point at 30-40. Federer saved it with a volley before holding serve at deuce. Switzerland faced two break points at 15-40 in the fourth game but Federer held serve for 2-2. The French team earned two more break points in the 8th game but they failed to convert them. Wawrinka held serve for 4-4 with a volley and a service winner.
Switzerland brought up two break points at 4-4 15-40. If they had converted them, Federer would have served to give the Swiss team a 2-0 lead. The home team held serve for 5-4. Federer served to stay in the set at 4-5 and held serve. Switzerland raised the game and got a crucial break of serve to 15 to take the 6-5 lead when Federer hit a backhand return at 15-40. Federer closed out to 15 to wrap up the second set with 7-5. The five break points Benneteau and Gasquet failed to convert proved to be crucial.
Gasquet went up 40-0 but Switzerland earned two break points after Gasquet made a couple of mistakes. Gasquet saved with his serve to give France a 2-1 lead but Federer and Wawrinka earned two break points at 15-40 in the fifth game. Gasquet saved the first break point with a smash. Switzerland converted the third break point when Wawrinka hit a passing shot. The break in the fifth game proved to be enough to clinch the match in straight sets.
Encouraged by the supportive French crowd Gasquet managed to save the first match point at 3-5 but Switzerland held serve to love in the next game and sealed the win with a volley winner.
Gasquet and Benneteau won just 19 of their 87 service return points.
“We tried to play aggressive and dictate the match. It’s a big relief. I am extremely happy that I am on the court helping the team. It’s always a pleasure playing with Stan. We played exceptionally well. I think a doubles is a test because you got to keep serving and volleying, being explosive all the time. I am relieved to do that. I will try to play my best tomorrow. Hopefully I will feel fine tomorrow”, said Federer
Federer talked about the contribution of David McPherson who was contacted by Severin Luthi. “He has been very helpful for us. We had a good and long conversation about the doubles. I am so happy that Severin had the idea to contact David and he was ready to jump onboard and help us. Singles is more freestyle. You play the way you feel. You don’t play the tendencies so much. In doubles I guess you have to do it more often sometimes”, said Federer
“It was great doubles. Past Davis Cup matches were not that good but it was a different tie. We are ready to play well, ready to go for the doubles. It was important to be aggressive on the court and to show that we are going to take the lead and going to take the doubles. I feel great. It was important to get some confidence. I feel that I am playing well on the court. I need to try everything in my racquet to win these matches. We are leading 2-1 and we have a chance to play the last game. We will face a tough day tomorrow but I am fit. We know very well and it’s easy for us to play together. I was confident with my game after playing well yesterday. Today we both played very well and did a good job”, said Wawrinka
“I feel great. It was an unbelievable doubles. Roger and Stan did a great job but we need to stay focused for tomorrow”, said Severin Luthi. “We wanted to put the best team on court. Playing the double helped Roger. He will be be ready for tomorrow. We talked about the possibilities the French team have but it was more about preparing ourselves in the best possible way. ”
Benneteau talked about the French defeat and the attempt to do something different to break the Swiss team in the second set. “At the end of the second set we were very close to break them. We do not think we had to change a lot of things. We just have to put some pieces of the puzzle together. The returns were better. After that they played good at the volley. Our second shot could have been better at this time. We could have returned at the same time together. This is one of the keys in doubles. It was tough to lose the second set because we had the feeling that we could have won this one”
“I could have played better”, said a disappointed Gasquet. “I was not able to make the breakpoints I had in the second set. If we had got a break, we would have in a better position for winning the second set where we had five breakpoints. It was on my side and I could have done better on some of them. I had an unlucky return. I didn’t play an exceptional match and I am disappointed”
Jo Wilfred Tsonga will need a miracle to keep French hopes alive when he faces Federer in the first reverse rubber match on Sunday. The fifth rubber match will feature Wawrinka and Monfils.
