Tennis News

According to official stats released by the ATP on Wednesday, the 2014 edition of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals became the best-attended event in the tournament’s four-and-a-half decade history.

The tournament welcomed 263,560 fans during the eight days of the tournament, which surpasses the previous attendance record set in 2012 by 331 visitors.

Another released stat was the increase in live streaming on TennisTv.com, which saw 5.8 million total streams – a 29% increase from last season.

“The O2 in London continues to provide a terrific home for our season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals,” said Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President. “The support that the tournament gets from fans in the UK and worldwide has been phenomenal and we’re delighted to have set both new attendance and digital viewership records this year.”

This year, fans witnessed world No. 1 Novak Djokovic complete another perfect run at the year-end championships to lift his third title in four years. He won the title via walkover once Roger Federer was forced to withdraw with a back injury.

The Final Showdown will return to the O2 in London in 2015.

The ATP announced that Geneva will host a 250-level event starting next season. The tournament will replace the Dusseldorf event in Germany, and will take place at the Tennis Club de Genève at the Parc des Eaux-Vives.

“We’re delighted to welcome an internationally renowned city like Geneva back onto the ATP World Tour from 2015. The Tennis Club de Genève is a beautiful club that carries a lot of history in the sport. This new event will make an excellent addition to the ATP clay court season in the Spring.”

This will mark the first time a professional tennis tournament is held in the city in 24 years. Bjorn Borg claimed his last title at the Geneva Open’s predecessor, the Barlcays Open, and has also featured a variety of tennis greats at the event.

“Geneva is a beautiful city and the Tennis Club de Genève is the most traditional Club situated in the wonderful Parc des Eaux-Vives. Not only did it stage a prestigious tournament for years in the 80s, but Swiss tennis in general has produced some of the best players over the years; winners of Grand Slams, Olympic Medals and now competing for the Davis Cup title.”

The Geneva Open is scheduled to take place between May 16-23

While the focus on Sunday afternoon was on the Davis Cup Final, which saw Roger Federer complete his trophy collection with the one title previously absent from his mantle, another tournament finale took place that day: the ATP Challengers Final. There, Diego Schwartzman defeated wild card Guilherme Clezar to win his fifth and final title of the season.

Schwartzman needed just 1 hour and 13 minutes to dispatch the eighth seed 6-2, 6-3 in front of a boisterous crowd in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The title win ties him for first place with five crowns and will find himself in the ATP Top 70 for the first time in his career.

“It was an incredible week,” said Schwartzman, who earns 110 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $84,900. “The tournament was great, well organised. I’m very happy. Since the first round, I managed to play a good level of tennis. I played all matches really well. I got into the final with a lot of confidence. Clezar was a little bit nervous and I took advantage of that. My technique was great too, all my strokes were going in.”

This was Schwartzman’s second meeting against Clezar this week, as he beat him with a similar scoreline in the round robin stage of the event.

“I will get into a lot of tournaments next year. We have the Australian Open in January. It was great to win this title, because of the prize money and also climbing up the (Emirates ATP Rankings).”

Roger Federer lived through another historic moment in his illustrious career on Sunday afternoon when he helped his country reach their first ever Davis Cup title against home favourites France in Lille.

It was his country’s first team title in the 115-year history of the tournament, and only their second attempt in the final to win the crown. A word record crowd of 27, 448 was in attendance for the historic moment – one that saw Federer collapse to the ground in pure joy following match point.

“We fought hard for it. I’ve been playing this game for almost 15 years now and I’ve never come as close as this past weekend. I was happy I was able to stay calm and play a good match when I had to.”

It was a contest that lasted a total of 1 hour and 42 minutes, as Federer dispatched Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 with minimal resistance from the former French No. 1. Federer was originally scheduled to face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth rubber but Tsonga was forced to bow out of the match with an arm injury. And while Gasquet’s two previous victories over Federer (2-12 h2h against the Swiss No. 1) were on clay, he simply stood no chance against the inspired Federer on this particular occasion.

“Everybody worked really hard to get me match-ready. Stan put in so much effort over the years and he played an unbelievable weekend and that is what gave me the opportunity today. I’m aware of that.

“This one is for the boys.”

With the conclusion of the 2014 season, professional tennis wil resume in 42 days at the start of January in Brisbane, Australia. Federer, who reached the final there this year, will likely return at the start of the season.

On Sunday afternoon, 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer added another title to his illustrious cabinet – one that had been abscent for the previous 15 years of his remarkable career: the Davis Cup title.

While he was expected to face French No. 1 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth rubber, Tosnga was forced to bow out of the event with an arm injury and was immediately replaced by Richard Gasquet, who failed to win more than eight games in the entire match.

“Everybody worked really hard to get me match-ready. Stan put in so much effort over the years and he played an unbelievable weekend and that is what gave me the opportunity today. I’m aware of that.

“This one is for the boys.”

Below are videos of Federer’s match point, as well as the Swiss Davis Cup team’s post-tournament celebration in front of the world record crowd in Lille.

Watch the clips here:

Following a less-than-stellar start to the Davis Cup final, Roger Federer was able to rebound on Saturday afternoon with a pivotal win in the doubles rubber to hand the Swiss team a 2-1 lead heading into the final day of professional tennis this season.

Armed with his inspired partner Stan Wawrinka, the pairing put on a clinic against the French duo of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet before eventually closing out the match in straight sets 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

“I’m really happy, clearly,” Federer said after the match. “Out on court helping the team and trying to get back to winning ways. It helped that we played so well today. Always a pleasure to play with Stan but I think today we played exceptionally well.”

While Federer failed to get a point for the Swiss team in the second rubber against a possessed Gael Monfils, he will get a chance to close out the tournament tomorrow in the fourth rubber against Richard Gasquet. Considering the Davis Cup trophy is the only remaining title missing from Federer’s remarkable collection, it will likely be one of the most important matches of his career.

“ I’m relieved to say that I’m actually feeling really well. Yesterday was quite an easy match on the body. Didn’t have any muscle pain. I’ll try and play my best tomorrow and hopefully I’ll feel fine again.

“I feel like I am at 100 percent,” Federer confirmed. “I’ll give it 100 percent and that’s all I can do right now.

Following Stan Wawrinka’s remarkable showings on the first two days of Davis Cup action, the Swiss No. 2 may get a chance to take part in the decisive fifth rubber to potentially secure the historic title for the Swiss team. As arguably the MVP of the week, he has earned his place in the match against fellow Davis Cup standout Gael Monfils. As both players set themselves for a potential clash, they will look to end a 2-2 split in the head-to-head series.

Stan Wawrinka followed up on an outstanding opening day of action at the Davis Cup, where he defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to secure the opening point for the Swiss team, with an even more impressive showing in the doubles rubber with partner Roger Federer. The Swiss pair dominated the encounter against Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet and eventually defeated them in straight sets with minimal resistance.

Wawrinka, in particular, was brimming with confidence on the court, as he struck the majority of his shots with complete disdain for the talents of the opposing team, and flaunted his backhand in ways that immediately sapped the confidence out of the French pairing.

In what he later proclaimed to be one of the “top three matches of his career” Gael Monfils put on an outstanding performance against a weakened Federer to defeat the Swiss star 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 and level the tie after the opening day of action. He appeared possessed and focused on a single goal – one which he achieved with relative ease.

This marks the fifth time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with the series split at 2-2. This marks their first meeting in over three years and if it just so happens to be a live rubber, it may make for the most entertaining fifth rubber in recent memory.

Prediction: Stan Wawrinka in Five Sets