PETE ZIEBRON
Roger Federer and Switzerland advance to the 2nd round in Davis Cup competition. Pete Ziebron Images
2014 Australian Open Champion Stan Wawrinka Charles Gabrean Photography
Initially Roger Federer decided against playing in Switzerland's Davis Cup tie on the road against Serbia but later changed his mind a few days before the tie in Novi Sad and accompanied 2014 Australian Open Champion and countryman Stan Wawrinka on the Swiss squad.
Stan Wawrinka was all in all the time, as he expounded moments after defeating Rafael Nadal in Melbourne for his first major title last Sunday: "Maybe you don't know, but Davis Cup, it's really important for me. I'm really proud. It's a big honor to play for my country. So for sure I'm still thinking to go there. I don't know how I'm going to get there exactly, if I'm still going to be alive after tonight, but I'm going to go there."
Wawrinka and Federer teamed to win a Gold Medal in doubles at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, a victory that helped propel a somewhat slumping at the time Roger Federer to the US Open title a few weeks later. Yesterday, Roger Federer opened the Switzerland @ Serbia Davis Cup tie with a convincing 6-4 7-5 6-2 win over Ilija Bozoljac and Stan Wawrinka followed with a 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-6(7) triumph over Dusan Lajovic, staking the Swiss to a 2-0 lead.
Today, the Swiss doubles team of Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer upset the favored Serbian doubles team of Nenad Zimonjic and Filip Krajinovic 7-6(3) 3-6 7-6(2) 6-2 to wrap up the tie for Switzerland. Federer was scheduled to play the 4th match tomorrow in the tie and will almost certainly step aside and allow a teammate to play the dead rubber in his place.
Despite the fact that they had to play Serbia on the road and just four days after the conclusion of the Australian Open and 9,602 miles and 10 time zones away from Melbourne, the Swiss team also avoided having to play Novak Djokovic, who opted to skip the tie to spend time away from the tennis court.
The next round in the Davis Cup draw is most favorable for the Swiss. Following their victory in Serbia, they will await the winner of the Belgium @ Kazakhstan tie. At the moment, Kazakhstan is leading 2-1 and missed an opportunity to clinch the tie today as Belgium stayed alive by winning the doubles match.
Concurrently today, traditional tennis powerhouse Spain has been eliminated as they failed to register a win either today or yesterday against the Germans in Frankfurt.
The Davis Cup Championship is one of the few accomplishments that has eluded Roger Federer in his storied career. Teaming with Stan Wawrinka, who is absolutely brimming with confidence following his Australian Open title, 2014 may very well be the year that Switzerland will win its first ever Davis Cup.
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