After splitting matches in the opening day of action at the Davis Cup final, the doubles rubber on Saturday relieved some of the pressure from the Swiss team as they prepare for the reverse singles rubbers on Sunday afternoon. First up, Roger Federer will attempt to make history and complete his trophy collection with his first ever Davis Cup title. He can achieve that goal with a victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the opening rubber of the day.

After a less-than-stellar start to his Davis Cup run, Roger Federer silenced doubters when he, along with partner Stan Wawrinka, dominated the doubles rubber against the formidable team of Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet. He appeared confident and pain-free as he volleyed his way to a 2-1 lead over the French team heading into the final day of action in Lillie.

Undoubtedly, this will likely mean that he is fit and ready to perform against the French No. 1 on Sunday.

While he had arrived on the practice courts early Saturday morning, which could have been interpreted as a sign that he was expected to play the doubles rubber with Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was rumoured to have opted out of the rubber because he didn’t “feel right about playing.” Whether this is an effect from his four-set loss to Wawrinka the previous afternoon, or simply the pressure of performing in the crucial doubles rubber, it does not bode well for his chances against the Swiss No. 1 on Sunday.

The last time that Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga met on the professional tour was in the final of the Rogers Cup in Toronto – an encounter that showed Tsonga at his most aggressive, which is why he won the match in straight sets. However, with Federer leading the overall head-to-head series 11-5, this is unlikely to be the case this time around, as the pressure of the momentous occasion will not allow Tsonga to play as freely as he may like. Having already lost the first rubber of the tie to Wawrinka, he will be desperate to find some confidence against a potentially weakened Federer.

Whether he finds the magic is anyone’s guess.

Prediction: Roger Federer in Four Sets