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Federer loses

November 21, 2014

The 17-time Grand Slam champion is still on the hunt for his maiden Davis Cup triumph. But the Swiss team were pegged back by France, as Federer toiled with persistent back problems.

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Monfils und Federer Davis Cup 21.11.2014
Image: Huguen//AFP/Getty Images

Roger Federer's dream of winning the first Davis Cup of his career could be over.

The 33-year-old went down 6-1, 6-4 and 6-3 to a domineering performance from Frenchman Gael Monfils in Lille. Federer had recovered from a back injury, which has plagued him for some time and even forced him to withdraw from the ATP Tour Final last weekend.

Federer had trained just twice this week and struggled to match the form of Monfils. The 28-year-old hit 44 winners, including 10 aces to level the tie at 1-1. The lively Frenchman rated this win in Lille as the third best in his career and was in a jovial mood when asked what the other two moments were.

"The first time I beat my father. It's bizarre, but my very best match is a match I lost. It was in 2004 against Lleyton Hewitt in Bercy (Paris)," he said.

"I had lost 6-3, 7-6. But for me it's the best match of my career because of the memory of it, because of the atmosphere. Of course, my level of tennis was not as good as today, but it's really my best memory."

Meanwhile, Swiss player Federer admitted he struggled to get into rhythm after little preparation this week. The veteran has had to deal with back injuries for a large chunk of his career and has still managed to achieve success against the top players.

Davis Cup 2014 Roger Federer
Federer withdrew from the ATP Final against Novak Djokovic last weekImage: picture-alliance/dpa/Salvatore Di Nolfi

"If you have a back issue, it's just one of those feelings you feel uncomfortable," he said.

"You don't have to be in unbelievably excruciating pain, but it takes a while for it to leave your mind. It's like a ghost, it's there, Whoa, be careful.

"But that's why it was good for me to play three sets today. Definitely gives us a lot of information."

Play continues on Saturday and Sunday with French pair Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet scheduled to go up against Marco Chiudinelli and Michael Lammer tomorrow, with the reverse singles on Sunday.

Swiss captain Severin Luthi has until one hour before the match to decide whether he will make any selection changes. Either Wawrinka or Federer could step in to Saturday's doubles, as Switzerland look for their first-ever Davis Cup title.

rd (AFP, AP, Reuters)