Tennis: Lille to host Davis Cup final

France and Switzerland will face each other in the final at Stade Pierre Mauroy from Nov 21 to Nov 23.

"The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has nominated the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille to stage the 2014 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final, which sees France face Switzerland on 21-23 November. The tie will be played indoors under a retractable roof with the surface for the tie to be confirmed on Monday 22 September," daviscup.com said.

The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is a multi-use stadium that is currently the home of French Ligue 1 football club Lille.

The stadium has a capacity of over 50,000, but for the final a court will be set up at one end to make use of the permanent seating in conjunction with temporary stands. The expected capacity will be a minimum of 27,000 spectators.

The highest capacity for a Davis Cup Final was in 2004, when 27,200 spectators watched Spain defeat USA at the Olympic Stadium in Seville.

This remains the largest ever crowd at an officially sanctioned tennis match.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti was quoted as saying by daviscup.com: “Lille will be a spectacular setting for one of the most eagerly anticipated Davis Cup Finals in years. It will be a fitting climax to a successful year for the competition that has seen strong player participation, sell-out crowds and excellent TV and media coverage.”

FFT President Jean Gachassin said: “French tennis is really looking forward to hosting such an exciting Davis Cup Final. I am particularly happy that it will be played before a record attendance in the beautiful city of Lille.”
 

Image: Wikimedia Commons