Hopp To It!

It was a pure, extended Davis Cup moment, the kind that a fan of the competition would point to as an embodiment of all that is unique, and unrivaled, about the world’s second most popular international team competition.

Roger Fed—er, make that Switzerland, represented by Roger Federer, was a set and 5-4 up on Italy, which had elected to send Simone Bolelli forth as its No. 2 singles player. Now it was 30-all, and the chant of “Hopp Suisse” resounded throughout the Palexpo arena in Geneva. Customarily undemonstrative, the Swiss were chanting, blowing horns, ringing cowbells and generally rocking the joint, and who could blame them? That was their golden child Federer out there, playing for his country, beginning his quest to lead the heavily favored home side into the Davis Cup final for only the second time.

The first time, in 1992, the Swiss team consisting of Jakob Hlasek and Marc Rosset (the other two members stood no chance of playing) had to travel to Dallas to play a United States team that featured Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Jim Courier—with aging John McEnroe also on hand to play doubles. What could anyone expect, but a loss that was only slightly softened by the fact that the Swiss averted a sweep when Rosset defeated Courier in the five-set, second-singles rubber?

Now it was different. The shoe was on the other foot. The Swiss squad featured the all-time Grand Slam singles champion, backed up by world No. 4 and reigning Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka. Who did the Italians have? Fabio Fognini, an emotional head-case ranked No. 17, supported by a couple of clay-court specialists, only one of whom was inside the Top 50—No. 48 Andreas Seppi, who was overlooked yesterday by team captain Corrado Barazzutti in favor of Bolelli, ranked No. 76.

Hopp Suisse, Hopp Suisse . . .  But this is Davis Cup, and things are rarely as easy as they might look. Bolelli had proven surprisingly troublesome in the first set, forcing a tiebreaker that Federer eked out, 7-5, on the strength of a lone, early mini-break. Now, at 5-4, 30-all, it was time for Federer to put away his pesky opponent. He served, attacked, cut a nice volley and, responding to a Bolelli reflex get, lifted a lob over the Italian’s head for a clean winner. It was set point. Bolelli responded by smacking a backhand service-return winner.

Hopp Suisse! Federer cracked a down-the-line backhand winner off Bolelli’s next return, earning another set point. But Bolelli stayed with Federer in a rally, and won it when the Swiss drilled a forehand into the net. Shortly thereafter, Federer blew another set point; he scowled, his eyes downcast, the weight of the Davis Cup experience heavy on his shoulders. The Swiss fans, a vast ocean of red filling the entire arena, were growing restless. Federer could ill afford to lose them; it would be thoroughly deflating, even if it was only temporary. Who knows what might happen then?

There would be three more deuces and two break points in that game, but on his fifth set point, Federer followed a forehand to the net and picked a Bolelli backhand out of the air with a drive volley.

Finally. Set to Switzerland. Hopp Suisse!

As it turned out, that was the closest thing the Swiss experienced to a crisis on the first day of the Davis Cup semifinals. Federer has won 17 Grand Slam titles but never a Davis Cup, and that helps explain why he was nervous in the early stages of the match, and later described the tangle with Bolelli (which ended 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4) as “frustrating.” It was a classic bit of Federer understatement, but most of all yet another reminder (along with the relatively high quality of Bolelli’s play early on) of how different Davis Cup matches are from tournament tennis—how the demand to stand and deliver seems so much more urgent when national pride is at stake, and how you can throw head-to-head records out the window.

Wawrinka can certainly attest to that. He’s never handled Davis Cup pressure well, as his 19-13 singles record attests. In the quarterfinals against Kazakhstan, he was beaten in four sets by Andrey Golubev, and his performance in doubles was sub-par as well. As a result, Switzerland trailed 1-2 and was on the brink of a stunning elimination. To his credit, Wawrinka managed to survive the must-win fourth rubber over No. 56 Mikhail Kukushkin, after which Federer put on a spectacular display in crushing Golubev to send Switzerland into today’s semifinal against Italy.

Perhaps that critical, fourth-rubber win last time out had a lasting effect on Wawrinka, for today he had no trouble at all with Fognini, Italy’s No. 1, winning 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in just 90 minutes. As a result, the Swiss look almost certain to win and advance to the final. What awaits them there will be no more daunting than the last time the Swiss made the final, but it could come close.

On the eve of Saturday’s doubles, the French are as well-positioned to advance as the Swiss. They lead the Czech Republic, 2-0, thanks to No. 21 Richard Gasquet’s impressive, straight-sets beatdown of the Czech No. 1 and ATP No. 6, Tomas Berdych. Gasquet allowed Berdych just eight games over three sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-3), but Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went him one better. Tsonga, No. 12, beat up on No. 24 Lukas Rosol even more convincingly, giving up one  less game in a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win.

This France vs. Czech Republic tie is being played at Roland Garros, and the scene there was wonderful. Rich, late summer sunlight made the court virtually glow, and the stands of Court Philippe Chatrier were vibrant with colorfully dressed spectators. The French team, which also includes Gael Monfils and Julien Benneteau, appeared to be wholly enthusiastic on the bench as well as on the court.

Those are a good signs for the French, who also dodged a dangerous bullet in the quarterfinals. Despite being at home, France fell behind a weak German team shunned by its nation’s stars, 0-2. The French then swept the final three matches, Monfils clinching with straight-sets demolition of Peter Gojowczyk.

This is Davis Cup, so nothing is certain. But the French suddenly look very dangerous—and very dedicated. Should they win and meet Switzerland in the final, the French will host. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is, after all, Davis Cup.