Roger Federer v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 2014 Davis Cup Final: Where to Watch Live and Preview
IBTimes UK looks ahead to the final day of action from the Davis Cup
Sunday brings the final day of action from the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille where France and Switzerland clash in the remaining two singles matches in the Davis Cup.
How it Works:
The finals have taken place over the last three days with two teams of four meeting against each other in a series of five matches.
After Friday's opening day saw each side take a point, Saturday introduced doubles action as Switzerland's Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer took on French duo Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet.
Sunday's final day brings the reverse of Friday's singles meetings with the team with most victories crowned champions.
Where to Watch:
Coverage of day two begins at 12:30pm (GMT) on British Eurosport 2 until 6pm. Live updates will also be available via the Davis Cup official website while IBTimes UK will be providing daily round-ups of the action.
Overview:
Roger Federer only officially confirmed his participation in the competition last Thursday, a day before the action got underway.
The back injury that forced him to withdraw from his ATP World Tour final meeting with Novak Djokovic last Saturday has caused him problems all week and was undoubtedly a prevailing factor on Friday as Gael Monfils strolled to a straight sets win, exacting some revenge after the Swiss eliminated him from the US Open at the quarter final stage in September.
Federer's lack of match fitness is likely to play a key factor in his fourth rubber encounter with Tsonga. The Frenchman will also come into their match having secured an emphatic victory in their last encounter, a 7-5 7-6 (3) win to secure the Rogers Cup in Canada in August. The World no 12 also secured a straight sets win over Federer in their meeting at Roland Garros in 2013, although the 17-time Grand Slam winner did secure some revenge in eliminating him from the Australian Open in January.
Federer's superior record is likely to count for nothing on Sunday. Concern over his fitness is likely to decide his fate although he remains hopeful the worst of it is behind him. That optimism will be crucial to Switzerland's hopes of bringing the Davis Cup home for the first time in their history.
What they Said:
Federer: "I'll definitely make myself available if I feel that I can play proper tennis. "I started to feel better as the match went on.
"That's very encouraging, I must say. I would think that I'm going to get better as the weekend goes on. I hope I'll be fine tonight and tomorrow morning to give maximum possibilities for Severin and back up Stan and the rest of the team."
Tsonga: "When the teams were introduced, they applauded Stan more than us, Roger (Federer) more than us. We heard the Swiss spectators more than we heard the French ones."
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