LILLE, France (AP) – Roger Federer has now claimed all the big prizes on offer in tennis and, for once, will be happy to share his latest trophy with others.
Federer ended a week of uncertainty about his aging back with a vintage performance to give Switzerland an emphatic victory over France and its first Davis Cup.
His 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Richard Gasquet in the first reverse singles Sunday sealed an unassailable 3-1 lead. That also proved to be the final result, with the final match between Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka not played.
It took 15 years for the former top-ranked Federer to achieve Davis Cup success after making his debut in the event in 1999. No wonder he looked so emotional after converting his first match point, falling to his knees and lying face down on the court before hugging team captain Severin Luthi and his teammates.
“At the end, it’s a tennis match, you feel great emotions. You’re unbelievably happy and relieved,” said a joyful Federer. “We wanted this clearly very badly, especially being up 2-1. You inch yourself closer and closer. Clearly seeing Stan out there, the rest of the team supporting you, gives you an extra push. It was definitely one of the better feelings in my career, no doubt about it. So much nicer to celebrate it all together.”