Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer celebrate Switzerland’s Davis cup win in Lausanne
Around 10,000 people gathered at the Place de la Navigation in Ouchy, Lausanne yesterday evening to celebrate Switzerland’s first ever win in the Davis Cup’s 115-year history and to congratulate the players, above all Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer. They came straight to the Vaud capital off their flight from Lille, bearing the trophy with them.
The Davis Cup
Switzerland beat France 3–1, after Federer lost his opening match to Gael Montfils. The 17-time Grand Slam winner soon bounced back, dismissing fears that the back injury that led him to withdraw from the ATP World Tour final against Novak Djokovic earlier in November would put him off his stride. He and Wawrinka won the doubles in straight sets.
The crowd cheered as the players descended from the bus transporting them, with the cup borne aloft. Considered the oldest and most prestigious of all the trophies in tennis, it contains 217 ounces of silver, stands around 30 centimetres tall, and the diameter of the bowl – decorated with primroses and acanthus leaves – is around 45 centimetres. The names of the players from the winning team and the runners up are inscribed on the trophy – the need for space has meant that the bowl now rests on a triple plinth, with silver plaques for more winners. The cup resides at the International Tennis Federation in London and is transported to the Davis Cup final each year.
Cool outdoor fondue stands – Swiss technology run riot.
In true Swiss festive style, there was a stage to greet the winners, hastily assembled in the space of a day, as well as stalls selling beer, wine and of course fondue!
