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World Group Semifinal

World Group Draw    Official Website

France 4; Czech Republic: 1

Venue: Roland Garros, Paris, FRA (clay-outdoor)

R1: Richard Gasquet beat Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-2 6-3

R2: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Lukas Rosol 6-3 6-2 6-3

R3: R.Gasquet/JW. Tsonga beat T.Berdych/R.Stepanek 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(5) 6-1

R4: Julien Benneteau vs Jiri Vesely 4-6 3-6 

R5: Gael Monfils beat  Lukas Rosol 5-7 6-4 7-5

Captains: Arnaud Clement (FR); Jaroslav Navratil (CZ)

 

Switzerland 3; Italy 2

Venue: Palexpo, Geneva, SUI (hard-indoor)

R1: Roger Federer beat Simone Bolelli 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4

R2: Stan Wawrinka beat Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-3 6-2

R3: F.Fognini/S.Bolleli beat M.Chiudinelli/S.Wawrinka 7-5 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-2

R4: Roger Federer beat Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-3 7-6(4)

R5: Michael Lammer vs Andreas Seppi 4-6 6-1 4-6

Captains: Severin Luthi (SUI); Corrado Barrazuti (ITA)

Day Three

Federer def. Fognini to Send Switzerland to Davis Cup Final vs France

daviscup.com: September 14, 2014 by Chris Bowers Geneva, Switzerland - Roger Federer has taken himself to one of the few peaks he has yet scaled – a Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final. His 62 63 76(4) win over Fabio Fognini in the fourth rubber of the semifinal in Geneva sees the Swiss into the final for the first time since 1992, and gives the 17-times Grand Slam champion the chance to capture the one historically meaningful title he has yet to win.

 

The victory over Italy’s top-ranked player came in a match that won’t linger long in the memory for its quality of tennis. Both men seemed aware of the magnitude of the occasion, there were numerous errors, and only one rally to purr about. But Federer knew what he had to do, and did it clinically in just under two hours.

 

Fognini, wearing the azure shirt of the Azzurri for the first time this weekend, looked the more comfortable player at the start. Federer seemed a little nervous, his topspin backhand wasn’t working, his volleys were missing, and for once he looked far from the cool, calm and collected figure he has cut over the past decade. And when Fognini had a break point in the third game, it looked like being a real contest.

 

Federer saved the break point with an ace, but continued to look nervy until the sixth game, when Fognini made several errors and Federer broke. That released the Swiss somewhat, and he broke for a second time for 62 as Fognini ran out of challenges and got irritated with a line judge who foot-faulted him.

 

Federer missed three break points in the second game of the second set, and as the set wore on they looked like they might be costly. But at 4-3, Federer crunched a forehand down the line to set up break point, and then hit a wonderful running lob that a backpedalling Fognini could only smash into the net. Five points later, Federer had a two-sets lead as he rattled through his next service game.

 

Any suggestion that Fognini might wilt disappeared early in the third set. He had three break points in the fourth game and another in the sixth, but Federer saved them all. At 0-30 in the 11th game, Federer sensed victory but again Fognini fought back and the set went into the tiebreak.

 

Again Fognini failed to get downhearted despite an abysmal record on challenges that saw him run out of them three times. He made good a 1-4 deficit to get back to 4-4, but a crisp Federer forehand return winner re-established the minibreak, and an ace followed by a netted Fognini backhand unleashed wild celebrations among the Swiss team and their 18,000 fans. Switzerland will be away to France in November’s final.

Day Two

France End Czech Reign, Wins Tie 3-0; Italians Keep Hopes Alive, Clinch Doubles

daviscup.com: September 13, 2014 Paris, France -  For the first time since 2010 France are in the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead against the two-time defending champions, the Czech Republic.

 

The Czechs came out focused and had to give it everything and more to keep their hopes alive and take the semifinal into a live final day. Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek were put in as expected, having lost just one of 16 previous doubles rubbers as a team, and they took the first set as the French tandem of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, in only their second appearance together in Davis Cup, tried to find their groove.

 

Gradually though the French worked their way back but still it was a tight match. The crowd were playing a vital part and it was only in the fourth that the French asserted a dominance to win 67(4) 64 76(5) 61.

 

The Czech Captain Jaroslav Navratil extended his congratulations to the French team for the way they played and the way they conducted themselves. He said they were better prepared and wished them every good fortune for the final but admitted the loss still hits hard.

 

In Geneva, Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini beat the home pair of Marco Chiudinelli and Stan Wawrinka 75 36 57 63 62 to keep the visitor’s hopes alive. The match ended three minutes short of the four-hour mark, and while Italy has the momentum going into the final day, a fresh Roger Federer is likely to face a slightly jaded Fognini in the first reverse singles.

 

“I’m a bit tired,” admitted Fognini after his efforts. His captain Corrado Barrazzutti chose to see the uplifting effect of Fognini’s doubles win, but there’s no doubt Federer will start as a strong favourite to beat whoever the Italians place before him – and see him and his team-mates into their first-ever Davis Cup final.

 

Federer was rested for the doubles, in a low-risk move by the Swiss to try and seal victory in two days but not at all costs. Chiudinelli and Wawrinka had played three times before, and while they had never won a match, they had combined effectively, and lost the longest match in Davis Cup history when Tomas Berdych and Lukas Rosol beat them in just over seven hours.

Day One

Federer, Wawrinka Give Swiss 2-0 Lead over Italy; France Puts Defending Champ Czech Republic on the Brink

September 12, 2014 ITS Staff Geneva, Switzerland –  Switzerland surged to a 2-0 lead over Italy in the Davis Cup World Group semifinals on Friday.  

 

Roger Federer claimed the first rubber with a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4 victory over Italian No.2 player Simone Bolelli after two hours and 19 minutes played at the Palexpo Indoor Stadium in front of 18,000 spectators.

 

Reigning Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka followed with an emphatic 6-2 6-3 6-2 win over World No.17 ranked Italian Fabio Fognini  in just one hour and half to give the hosts a commanding lead.

 

The Swiss, who have reached the Davis Cup final only once in 1992, will try to clinch the tie with one more rubber on Saturday’s doubles.

 

In the other semifinal tie played on the clay courts on Roland Garros Stadium in France, the hosts took a 2-0 lead over the two-time defending champion Czech Republic taking one step closer to their first Davis Cup final since 2010.

 

World No.21 ranked Richard Gasquet gave France their first victory after a surprising 6-3 6-2 6-3 upset win against World No.6 Tomas Berdych in two hours and 8 minutes.

 

World No.12 and French No.1 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came up big on the second rubber by beating Czech No.2 singles player Lukas Rosol, last month’s ATP Winston-Salem Open champion 6-3 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 31 minutes.

Daily Updates

Federer vs Bolleli Opens Swiss vs Italy Tie; Berdych vs Gasquet as Czech visits France

September 11 2014 ITS Staff - The Swiss Davis Cup team is strong favorite over Italy for this weekend’s World Group semifinal played at the Palexpo Indoor Hardcourts in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

In the opening rubber, seventeen-time Grand Slam champion and World No.3 Roger Federer has drawn the visitor’s No.2 player and World No.79 Simone Bolleli, while World No.4 Swiss and reigning Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka takes on Italian No.1 and World No. 17 Fabio Fognini in the second rubber on Friday.

 

In the other semifinal, defending champion Czech Republic visits France at the Roland Garros Stadium, site of the French Open Championships with World No.6 and Czech No.1 Tomas Berdych going against World No.21 and French No.2 Richard Gasquet in the first rubber.

 

In the second rubber, last month’s Rogers Cup Masters winner Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France’s No.1, will be playing against Czech No.2 and recent Winston-Salem Open champion Lukas Rosol. 

Federer to Lead Switzerland in DC Semifinal in Geneva vs Fognini, Italy

daviscup.com: September 10 2014 - Eleven of the world’s Top 20 will be in Davis Cup by BNP Paribas action on 12-14 September after the ITF announced the official team nominations for the upcoming World Group semifinals, World Group play-offs and Zone Group ties on Tuesday.

 

World No. 3 Roger Federer heads the field after the late withdrawal of Novak Djokovic due to exhaustion, with the likes of reigning Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka, world No. 6 Tomas Berdych, No. 7 Milos Raonic, No. 11 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and US Open finalist Marin Cilic also all donning national colours in Davis Cup this weekend.

 

Tsonga, Berdych, Federer and Wawrinka and world No. 17 Fabio Fognini are all set to feature in the semifinals in a bid to guide their nations through to the ultimate prize - a place in the Davis Cup final on 21-23 November.

 

Berdych is bidding to help the Czechs to a third consecutive final when they take on France (last finalists in 2010) at Roland Garros, while Federer’s Switzerland is gunning for a first final since 1992 against 1976 champion Italy. Read full article

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