As Davis Cup finals go, this week's matchup between Switzerland and France is anticipated to be one of the biggest ever. That's saying something for a competition that's been played since 1901 and produced some of the game's most memorable moments and matches.
It did so particularly during the game's foundational days, when Davis Cup was the most important event in the sport -- classics like the five-setter between Don Budge and Gottfriend Von Cramm in the semifinals in 1937, and the faceoff between American "Big" Bill Tilden and France's Four Musketeers in the 1928 final, which led to the construction of the stadium that is now center court at the French Open.
Its importance has diminished recently, but Davis Cup still throws up famous contests in far-flung locations. The 1991 final in Lyon was a notable one for France, because the French took down an American team led by Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi at home, as was a 3-2 victory in 2001 against Australia Down Under.
For Roger Federer, there was a 2003 match against Lleyton Hewitt in which he blew a two-set lead against his then-nemesis, and compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka played a seven-hour doubles match against the Czech Republic in 2013.
This year's final has everything required to join the ranks of such encounters, with several echoes of the historic meeting between Tilden and the Musketeers. There is Federer, an all-time great, looking to fill one of the few gaps in his résumé. Neither Federer nor Switzerland have ever won the Davis Cup, and a victory would be big for both -- as it would for Federer's teammate Wawrinka, who has regularly fronted up for the competition since Federer's participation became selective.
"If we can win Davis Cup, it's going to be huge," said Wawrinka at the ATP Tour Finals.
Wawrinka's unexpected Australian Open victory has established him as a top-five player and prompted Federer to return to playing a full Davis Cup schedule, giving the small nation of million a formidable lineup.
It has even been suggested that victory would represent the biggest team title in Switzerland's history, with an Olympic silver medal in hockey currently considered the country's biggest sporting achievement.
The two-man team of Federer and Wawrinka will be looking to keep up the recent spate of victories by smaller nations, including those by the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and Croatia. The two were expected to play both singles and doubles, though there is some question about Federer being able to play three matches after a back injury that led to his withdrawal from the ATP Tour Finals.
On the other side is one of the great Davis Cup nations in France, with victories to its name and a deep team this year that befits its tradition. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteau have been officially named to the team, with Gilles Simon a potential substitute before the lineup is set on Thursday.
"For us, it's a big thing, we have a big culture of Davis Cup for so many years, from the Musketeers, and we have a big motivation every year," said former player Sebastian Grosjean, who represented France in three Davis Cup finals. "To play Switzerland in a final in France is like a World Cup final [in soccer]. It's going to be huge."
The final, being played in the city of Lille, is the biggest thing going in France at the moment, with 27,000 people expected to pack into the Stade Pierre-Mauroy for the three days of the tie, and even French president Francoise Holland expected to make an appearance.
Another reason the tie is so highly anticipated is that every match is set to involve top players and has the potential be highly competitive.
Unlike Switzerland, France has plenty of decisions to make. Tsonga is expected to lead the singles, and though the 29-year-old has had a subpar season, he is capable of matching anyone when playing his best. Monfils is supremely athletic but frequently injured, though, like Tsonga, he gets inspired by the French crowds.
Gasquet is one of the game's finest shot-makers but has a tendency to back away on big occasions. Simon, who reached the final of the Shanghai Masters, is the most consistent but least imposing. The clay surface chosen for the tie should benefit Monfils and Gasquet more than Tsonga or Simon. Benneteau is expected to be one of the doubles players, but who will partner him is not settled.
"We have wonderful players, wonderful team. This is our biggest goal of the year," said Benneteau, adding the word on so many lips. "It's huge."
If the drama during the tie matches that leading up to it, there is quite a contest in store. The sparring began following the Shanghai Masters, which appropriately featured a final between Federer and Simon.
Simon returned to France and talked to a radio station about the importance of the crowd getting behind the French players during the Davis Cup meeting against Federer, who is as popular as any local.
"Sometimes, I'm afraid that the crowd respects Federer too much, and that would make it [harder]. Federer is a player who has the public for him anytime, anywhere in the world. When he plays a French player at Roland [Garros], it's 50-50, and I'm like, 'Guys, what's going on?'" said Simon.
Federer wasn't buying it.
"We know Simon talks a lot. I'm not surprised by his comments. I'm aware Davis Cup has a huge tradition in France. I know what it will be like," responded Federer.
Right around then, the 17-time Grand Slam champion had also sent a seemingly innocuous Twitter message showing himself during a three-day training session on clay, the surface being used for the final. Posted in the midst of three indoor events, some prominent names in France suggested that making the session public was gamesmanship, a signal to the French team.
"It caused reverberations in France, it surprised me a lot," Federer said the following week. "Looking back, I said to myself, 'Yes, the Davis Cup, it's very important in France.'"
But no amount of psychological sparring from the French has done the damage Switzerland's representatives did to themselves last weekend. Not only did Federer injure his back during a third-set tiebreak in a long and tightly contested semifinal against Wawrinka, but the two have since been wrapped in controversy about Wawrinka's conflict during the match with Federer's wife, Mirka.
As seen by courtside photographers and backed up by video, Wawrinka objected to Mirka's cheering in between first and second deliveries and complained to the umpire. Federer and Wawrinka reportedly had a 10-minute exchange following the match, with John McEnroe mentioning it on ESPN2 and suggesting that the "goings-on" had probably not helped Federer's physical condition.
The two have had minor scuffles before and patched things up, and they appeared smiling together in a team photo posted by Federer on Twitter. Federer is still expected to take part in the final, but his fitness level is unknown.
That is now the biggest concern, and not just for Switzerland. As much as the French want a win, they also want a worthy contest. The potential is there, but the matches must fulfill it.
"The party without Roger, or even without Stan, is not the same. I hope France will win -- but against the best team," said Grosjean.
Though history knocks in this Davis Cup final, it is now up to the players to answer the call.