ROGER Federer has paid tribute to the Tasmanian who helped complete his illustrious tennis resume.
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Launceston coach David Macpherson was approached at the recent ATP tour finals in London in a bid to help Switzerland claim its first Davis Cup title.
Better known as coach of America’s world No.1 men’s doubles pair Bob and Mike Bryan, Macpherson was recruited as a doubles adviser for Switzerland’s final against France at the weekend and played a pivotal role in helping Federer add the Davis Cup to his honour role, which already includes all four grand slam titles, six masters crowns and an Olympic gold medal.
‘‘He has been very helpful to us,’’ Federer said of Macpherson after the emotional victory in Lille.
‘‘The coaches did a wonderful job of preparing us.
‘‘It’s an enormous pleasure for me, I’ve waited 15 years for this.
‘‘This has been a perfect weekend in a crazy atmosphere.’’
With the final standing at one-all after the first day, the Swiss camp decided to play its singles aces Federer and reigning Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the doubles, despite them having lost their past four Davis Cup doubles matches.
After long discussions with Macpherson on the best strategies to counter their French opponents Richard Gasquet and Julian Beneteau, Federer and Wawrinka combined brilliantly to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 on Saturday.
Seventeen-time grand slam winner Federer then clinched the final with a resounding 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over Gasquet in the reverse singles in front of a patriotic world-record crowd of 27,488, which roared every French point and frequently erupted into renditions of La Marseillaise.
‘‘It was such a thrill to see them put those strategies into action perfectly,’’ said Macpherson, who completed his 2014 coaching schedule in Lille and is planning a trip home to Launceston next month.
‘‘Roger and Stan were great. They both thanked me for my input.’’Pro tour website tennis.com credited Swiss Davis Cup Severin Luthi with recruiting Macpherson in London.
‘‘Luthi’s stroke of genius was his bold decision to hire Macpherson to give coaching advice to the Swiss doubles players,’’ it said.
‘‘Bringing in Macpherson was also a selfless move by a coach who set aside whatever ego he has in the interest of doing the best thing for his team.
‘‘Macpherson and the doubles players got together and held strategy sessions.
‘‘The Swiss were highly synchronized and brutally efficient, far more than one might have expected from a team that last played together in April against Kazakhstan.’’
Having won an Olympic doubles title, with Wawrinka in 2008, a singles gold medal remains the only major accolade left for 33-year-old Federer to join Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi in a career clean sweep.
Ironically, Federer and Wawrinka defeated Macpherson’s long-time charges the Bryan brothers en route to claiming their Olympic gold in Beijing.
Macpherson, who guided the record-breaking Bryans to their fourth World Masters title in London earlier this month, will be the special guest at Denis Tucker’s Launceston tennis museum on Friday, December 12.