Federer recalls emotional 2001 Davis Cup win vs US

By Graham Dunbar

Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, Feb. 7 2012 8:15 a.m. MST

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Swiss Davis Cup tennis player Roger Federer, right, talks with Swiss Davis Cup team captain Severin Luethi, left, during a training session in the Forum Arena in Fribourg, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. Switzerland faces US the World Group first round.

Keystone, Jean-Christophe Bott, Associated Press

Summary

Roger Federer hopes to recapture the emotion of Switzerland's 2001 Davis Cup victory against the United States when they meet again in the first round this weekend.

FRIBOURG, Switzerland — Roger Federer hopes to recapture the emotion of Switzerland's 2001 Davis Cup victory against the United States when they meet again in the first round this weekend.

Federer says the Swiss win as a 19-year-old was "my first emotional outburst" on court after he went unbeaten through two singles matches and doubles.

Now 30, Federer says that win was "a start of great things for me," as several months later at Wimbledon he beat four-time defending champion Pete Sampras.

Federer has skipped the first round of the Davis Cup since 2004. He's changed his preparations to play Davis Cup this year.

He hasn't played on clay so early in the season since 2004 in Romania, and it's been seven years since he played in Europe in February.

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