Federer "hopeful" he will be fit for Davis Cup final

19 November 2014 09:30

Roger Federer said Tuesday he was "hopeful" he would be able to play in the Davis Cup final against France on Friday despite the crippling back injury he sustained in London.

"I am not good enough to practice yet and I wish my progress would be faster," the Swiss star told a press conference at the Stade Pierre Mauroy outside Lille which will host the three-day final.

"It's a little bit better than on Saturday, Sunday, Monday so I am hopeful."

Federer sustained the back injury playing in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour finals in London on Saturday evening during a long, three set match against Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka.

The world number two said that the Swiss team's medical staff had been working hard on his fitness and that the pain he had felt on Saturday was easing.

Asked if he was worried about missing the chance to win the Davis Cup final for the first time in his career he replied: "I don't know. I'm a positive kind of person so I have to believe in it."

Were Federer to miss the final, it would be a huge body blow to Swiss hopes as although Wawrinka at fourth in the world is comfortably ranked above all the French players, after him the fall off in the Swiss team is steep with Marco Chiudinelli 212th and Michael Lammer 508th.

Source: AFP