And they've done it! The elusive Davis Cup trophy is finally theirs after a masterclass performance by Roger Federer over substitute French player Richard Gasquet. But allow me to regress for a just a moment.
Oh, the emotions of the last week as a Federer fan. Last Sunday was one of deep disappointment as Roger had to withdraw from the final of the World Tour Finals after injuring his back against buddy Stan Wawrinka. Then there was the little tiff between the two that should have stayed like that, just between the two. Instead, thanks to many stupid media people, it became "huge" news. Then there was the wondering whether Roger would even be able to play Davis Cup at all, as doctors worked on his back and he rested. There was cautious optimism as he took to the practice court mid week, and again on Friday after a brilliant performance by Stan Wawrinka over Jo Wilfred Tsonga, but then disappointment again as Roger lost in straight sets to Gael Monfils. Though Roger definitely improved as the match went on, it was obvious that once he got over the tentativeness from the back scare, that he just really hadn't practiced much on clay. Then Saturday came with the news that Roger and Stan would be taking the doubles court. Wow, was that a great decision to have them play, as well as the earlier decision to seek the help of the Bryan Brothers' coach David Macpherson to increase their doubles strategy. Usually the doubles point is huge in winning Davis Cup ties, and it certainly was here.
When I woke up on Sunday and found that Gasquet was replacing Tsonga in the singles match against Federer I know the Swiss guys likely had it in the bag. Roger had found his game again on the doubles court Saturday, with his back obviously recovered and with enough clay practice to again feel comfortable. I wouldn't say that Gasquet played a bad match; he was simply over-classed by an in-the-zone Fed who wasn't playing for himself, but for his brothers and for his country. In fact, Federer never even faced a break point in his 6-4 6-2 6-2 win. As he eased a final drop shot over the net on match point, he fell to his knees, then full out on his stomach as emotions took over. The hugs from Captain Severin Luthi and then all the other members of the team were priceless to watch as I wiped my own tears.
To say this is a well deserved win for both Federer and Wawrinka is a huge understatement. So many of the teams who have won this trophy multiple times have come as a result of a great depth of players to rely on when some members want to take a break. Not so with the Swiss - it really has been up to these two, which makes the win even more meaningful. They both devoted themselves this year to making Davis Cup a priority and thankfully it paid off. It would have been a terrible shame if the back injury that occurred when the two of them played each other the week before had prevented this great victory. The fact that there was a little tension between the two really only shows the depth of their friendship; just as husbands and wives have little arguments and then quickly move forward, so did these two, who now get to share a wonderful celebration together on behalf of their team and their country. Congratulations Swiss guys, and I will always feel that I have some Swiss blood in me because of you.
Who would have believed at the beginning of the week that we would be having an all Swiss final in Monte Carlo? Especially with the presence of Rafael Nadal, who has won it eight times, and Novak Djokovic, the defending champion. But Nadal seems to be struggling with some confidence issues since his loss in the Australian Open final to Wawrinka, Djokovic has been having an issue with his wrist, and the Swiss guys have completely taken advantage, more than proving their worthiness to claim the title.
Federer and Djokovic played a tough first set in the semi, with no signs of any wrist injury from Novak in spite of the heavy taping. They each played some beautiful points, and each had chances for breaks that they weren't able to take. It looked like it could likely go to a tiebreak when out of the blue from 40-0 up Roger was able to claim his first break of the match, then served it out for a 7-5 set. That took the wind out of Novak's sails and suddenly the wrist issue reared its ugly head in the second set. Sometimes playing against an injured opponent can be tricky, but Roger was able to stay calm and play his game, winning it at 6-2. The wrist was obviously a big factor in the second set, but not so in the first, definitely making this a victory without an asterisk next to it.
Stan was able to earn his way to the final by beating David Ferrer in the semi, who seemed a little jaded after his win against Rafa Nadal the day before. But Stan showed the great tennis he has been playing this year and really took it to him, playing with aggression and authority.
So this sets the stage for the first all Swiss final since 2000. In spite of the 14 matches Federer and Wawrinka have played (13 in Fed's favor), none have been in a final. In fact, in spite of the fact that Stan won the Australian Open for his first grand slam title, he has never won a Masters 1000. It will be a very interesting final indeed. In many matches they have played against each other it was easy to see that Stan struggles with the high respect factor he has for Roger and just isn't able to play his game. So how will this play out in an important final now that Stan has proved himself as a champion in Australia, beating both Djokovic and Nadal to claim the title, along with the fact that he is now ranked higher than his good buddy Roger? This will make for very interesting dynamics indeed. Not to mention the great relationship these two have, reportedly even having dinner together the night before the final. How often does that happen?
I would love to see Roger add this title that he hasn't been able to win in the past to his incredible resume, and I will be cheering for him with everything I have. But if he isn't able to come through with the win, what an exciting time it will be for Stan Wawrinka to claim his first Masters 1000, and for the Swiss in general to have two of their guys in the final of such a prestigious event. And I know Roger would be thrilled for his great friend Stan if he ended up being the one to hold the trophy in the end. But as a Federer fan to the very core of my being, 100% of me will be saying "Go Roger!"
What a great way to start an exciting next couple months of tennis - seeing two much deserving men win build-up clay tournaments just as one of the big ones, Madrid, is getting started.
Last year at this time Tommy Haas was ranked over 100 points below his current ranking. Creeping into his mid 30s, who would have blamed anyone at that point in wondering if it was worth the effort to try to climb his way back to the top of the game. What an amazing run Tommy has put together this year. Previously with 13 titles, in the year 2013 he has now reached #13 in the rankings. But hopefully he's not too attached to that #13 (which is even in his twitter name, @TommyHaas13) because he now has 14 titles after a tremendous week in Munich, beating fellow German Philip Kohlschreiber. Now 35, he continues to amaze. I don't think anyone in their right mind has any right to ask any tennis player in their 30s when they plan to retire!
And what about Stan Wawrinka? After some incredible play already this year, taking Novak Djokovic to the brink in Australia, he finally has his hands on a trophy again, after not having won one since 2011. This will be confidence boosting for the often overlooked Swiss player, beating #4 ranked David Ferrer who is a great clay court player. Maybe this will be enough to help him get some of those really big wins that often seem to elude him.
The first round has already begun in Madrid with some of the big name women already being knocked out (Caroline Wozniacki and Li Na). What does the rest of the week hold, and more importantly, who will be holding the trophies come Sunday?
