Davis Cup World Group 1st-Round Tie. February 3-5, the United States Davis Cup Team hosts Team Switzerland at the Legacy Arena / BJCC in Birmingham. The U.S. is the most successful nation in Davis Cup history with 32-titles. The United States and Switzerland have faced each other 4-times before. The U.S. has won three of those Ties, including a 5-0 win on clay in Fribourg five years ago…and a 4-1 victory in Birmingham back in 2009.
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TEAM USA
#20 Jack Sock
#23 John Isner
#27 Sam Querrey
#31 Steve Johnson
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TEAM SWITZERLAND
#127 Henri Laaksonen
#146 Marco Chiudinelli
#485 Adrien Bossel
#545 Antoine Bellier
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2017
2017 Radio commercial: Team USA vs. Switzerland in Birmingham.
2012
Their last encounter was five years ago on clay in Fribourg, Switzerland – also during the World Group First Round. With both Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka on the Swiss Team, tennis insiders didn’t give Team USA much of a chance…they couldn’t have been more wrong. With impressive Day-1 wins from Mardy Fish and John Isner, Mike Bryan then teamed with Mardy Fish to seal the victory on Day-2.
- Mardy Fish def. Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 9-7
- John Isner def. Roger Federer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2
- Mike Bryan/Mardy Fish def. Roger Federer/Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
- Ryan Harrison def. Michael Lammer 7-6(0), 7-6(4) (dead rubber)
- John Isner def. Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 6-4 (dead rubber)
2009
Eight years ago, the two teams descended on Birmingham for the first time, where Team USA won the First Round Tie 4-1, after James Blake fell in the opening Rubber to Stan Wawrinka. Two years removed from winning the Davis Cup title, Team USA would then fall to Croatia in the Quarterfinals.
- Stan Wawrinka def. James Blake 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3)
- Andy Roddick def. Marco Chiudinelli 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(5)
- Bob/Mike Bryan def. Yves Allegro/Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2)
- Andy Roddick def. Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
- James Blake def. Marco Chiudinelli 6-4, 7-6(6) (dead rubber)
2001
In 2001, Switzerland earned its only Davis Cup win over Team USA, defeating the Americans in the First Round. Playing in his hometown – in only his fifth career Davis Cup Tie – Roger Federer clinched the win with a four-set victory over Jan-Michael Gambill in Basel.
- Roger Federer def. Todd Martin 6-4, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1
- Jan-Michael Gambill def. Michel Kratochvil 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
- Roger Federer/Lorenzo Manta def. Jan-Michael Gambill/Justin Gimelstob 6-4, 6-2, 7-5
- Roger Federer def. Jan-Michael Gambill 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
- Andy Roddick def. George Bastl 6-3, 6-4 (dead rubber)
1992
25-years-ago, Switzerland and the United States met for the first time in the Davis Cup Final, where Team USA “Captured the Cup” at home in Fort Worth, Texas. Featuring the Dream Team of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and John McEnroe, it was the United States’ 30th Davis Cup title. John McEnroe and Pete Sampras overcame a two tie-break set deficit to win the doubles rubber, then Jim Courier clinched the win on Sunday.
- Andre Agassi def. Jacob Hlasek 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
- Marc Rosset def. Jim Courier 6-3, 6-7(9), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
- John McEnroe/Pete Sampras def. Jacob Hlasek/Marc Rosset 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
- Jim Courier def. Jacob Hlasek 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Andre Agassi vs. Marc Rosset (not played)
The winner gets Australia or the Czech Republic
In 2016, Team USA defeated Australia on the road in the First Round; then lost a heart-breaker to Croatia in Portland, Oregon after Jack Sock and John Isner put them up 2-0 on Day-1. Minus both Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, Team Switzerland fell in the First Round to the Italians (0-5). Whoever wins in Birmingham this February will hit the road in early April to play Australia or the Czech Republic.
Birmingham, Alabama. 2-0 for Team USA
Birmingham is a winning city for Team USA. While the guys defeated the Swiss here in 2009, the ladies returned to the Legacy Arena / BJCC in 2010, defeating Russia in the World Group Semifinals. It was a thriller, too – won in the fifth and deciding rubber by Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Melanie Oudin defeated Alla Kudryavtsesva to put the US ahead, then Bethanie Mattek-Sands fell to Elena Dementieva to level the Tie. Dementieva then defeated Oudin to open Day-2, but Mattek-Sands leveled it again with a 3-set win over Ekaterina Makarova. Huber and Mattek-Sands then lifted Team USA to the Fed Cup Final with a straight-sets win over Dementieva and Kudryavtseva. Sadly, Team USA fell to the Italians 1-3 in the Fed Cup Final that November in San Diego.
