Tennis: Swiss 2-0 up over Italy in Davis Cup
Switzerland took 2-0 lead over Italy on the first day of their Davis Cup semi-final on Friday.
GENEVA (AFP) - Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka both won to put Switzerland 2-0 up against Italy on the first day of their Davis Cup semi-final in Geneva on Friday.
Federer defeated Simone Bolleli 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4 in the opening rubber and then Wawrinka crushed Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.
A win in Saturday s doubles will mean that the Swiss will be in the Davis Cup final for just the second time after finishing second to the United States in 1992.
Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam champion who has never appeared in a Davis Cup final, was taken all the way in the first set against Bolleli, but eased ahead by winning the tie-break.
But once Federer grabbed the first service break of the match after more than an hour s play to move 5-3 up, Bolleli s standard of play started to fall away.
Another break of serve thanks to a netcord in the third game of the third set sent Federer on his way and he made no mistake after that.
"It was quite frustrating at times but that s indoor tennis," the Swiss star said of a match played in front of a capacity 18,000 crowd.
"Playing beautiful, nice points didn t really matter. I just stayed with him."
Australian Open champion Wawrinka was never troubled by Fognini, dominating the Italian with 37 winners, and 16 aces.
France were 2-0 up over the Czech Republic at the end of the first day in the other semi-final in Paris against the defending champions the Czech Republic.
