TENNIS – Stan Wawrinka got Switzerland to a winning start with a convincing 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over Jo Wilfred Tsonga in the opening match of the eagerly-awaited Davis Cup Final between France and Switzerland at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Villenueve d’Asq near Lille. Gael Monfils played one of his best matches of his career to win over Roger Federer in three sets with 6-1 6-3 6-4 keeping the French hopes alive at the end of the first day. Diego Sampaolo
Ubaldo Scanagatta asks Severin Luthi if there is more chance of winning the doubles or the singles point with Roger Federer in these conditions.
Wawrinka d. Tsonga 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In the opening match 2014 Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka hit 61 winners to take his third win in five clay-court head-to-head matches against Jo Wilfred Tsonga with 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-2 in front of 27.432 spectators,which represents a record-breaking attendance for the Davis Cup.
In the second game of the first set Wawrinka earned a break point but Tsonga saved it with his serve. The Lausanne player converted his second break point in the fourth game for 3-1 and held serve to love in the next game. Tsonga made two unforced errors to go down 0-40 in the sixth game. He saved the first break point but Wawrinka converted the second to take a 5-1 lead. Wawrinka served for the first set but he faced the first break point of the match. Tsonga sent a passing shot wide to waste the break point. Wawrinka hit a forehand passing shot before wrapping up the first set with a service winner in just 26 minutes.
Tsonga faced a break point in the opening game of the second set but he held his serve after a 12-point first game. Tsonga held serve without facing any break points in the third game for 2-1.
The Frenchman broke serve in the fourth game of the second set for 3-1 when Wawrinka hit a double fault and backed up the break holding serve in the next game for 4-1.
Tsonga clinched the second set with 6-3 with a service winner to the delight of the enthusiastic French crowd. The Frenchman hit 16 winners and clinched six of his eight points at the net to draw level to 1-1.
The third set went on serve until the sixth games when Wawrinka broke serve to take a 4-2 lead in the third set, as Tsonga hit his forehand wide. Tsonga saved two set points to claw his way back for 3-5.
Tsonga went 30-0 when Wawrinka was serving for the set. but Wawrinka earned a third set point with two service winners and a down-the-line backhand. Wawrinka made a double fault but he earned a fourth set point with a forehand winner. Wawrinka clinched the third set with 6-3 after 1 hour and 51 minutes dropping just seven of his service points.
Wawrinka got an early break at the start of the fourth set and held serve in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. The Lausanne player got a second break in the seventh before sealing the win on the match point at 5-2 40-30 with a forehand volley after two hours and 24 minutes.
“I was feeling good since Thursday night. You know that you have a lot of pressure when you play a Davis Cup final. With everything that happened this week with Roger’s back, there is more pressure on me but I have a good team around me. I know how to play these matches. I did so many good matches this year. It’s important to show them that I am there. They maybe focused on Roger and maybe they forgot me. I thought that I would have more difficulties because I did not play a lot on clay. We had less time to prepare on clay than the French team. They were playing on this surface for a long time already. I just went on court prepared to do simple things. I think playing as well as I did in the Masters was the best preparation. I was confident”
Monfils d. Federer 6-1 6-3 6-4
Gael Monfils played one of his best matches to take a three-set win over Roger Federer with 6-1 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 46 minutes to draw France level to 1-1. The Frenchman took a re-match against Federer who beat him in five sets after losing the first two sets in the quarter final at this year’s US Open.
The back problem which forced Federer to withdraw from the ATP World Tour Final last Sunday affected the Swiss legend in the first set when Monfils recovered from 15-30 to win three consecutive points and get his first break in the fourth game as Federer hit a forehand into the net. Federer earned two break back points in the next game but he failed to convert them. Monfils got a double break for 5-1. Monfils did not convert his first two set points after two double faults but he closed out with 6-1 the opening set on the their set point in 30 minutes with two consecutive aces.
Monfils did not convert on two break point chances but he broke serve on his third chance in the third game of the second set and held serve in the next game. A break was enough to take a 2-0 lead.
The Frenchman took a 4-2 lead with a break in the sixth game before getting another break for 5-3 to claim his first ever straight-set win over Federer who was affected by the injury especially on his backhand. Monfils closed out with his backhand on the first match point. Two days of training on indoor clay after the ATP Finals were not enough to get ready.
“That is one of the top-three matches in my life. I was very nervous at the beginning. When Jo lost, it was an extra pressure because we needed o get back to win the title. I liked the atmosphere and the court. The crowd helped me a lot. They game me a lot of energy. At the end it helped me a lot because I went for my shots which made me serve big and hit big forehands”, said Monfils.
“Gael played a high-quality match. And playing the way he played against Federer in a Davis Cup final is an exceptional performance. Gael is able to play at that level. He already proved that in the past. I am sure he will be able to play another great match this weekend. He is at his best level at one of the most important moments of his career. This is extremely admirable”, said French Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clement.
