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Federer back to winning ways in Basel

Roger Federer returned to winning mode ten months after his last title as the home tennis hero thrashed Japanese wild card Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-3 to win a fifth Swiss Indoors title on Sunday.

Published: 7 November 2011 09:26 CET

The third seed lost just one point in a dominating first set which lasted 28 minutes. The 21-year-old Nishikori found some range in the second set but had no hopes against an on-form Federer at the event where he once served as a ballboy.

“It was a perfect match for me. Now I have big hopes for Paris and London,” said Federer, whose eyes moistened as he held the trophy to a standing ovation from “his” crowd after ending his longest title drought since 2002.

“It’s great to win at home again,” said Federer. “Kei put up a good fight. I’ve known ever since I hit with him as a teenager that he could have a good future.

“He’s had some injuries but he’s playing well now. It was a good match and I’m very happy for the win.”

The 30-year-old Federer now stands 29-1 at the event over the past six years after playing six straight finals. The tournament is the only non-grand slam tournament where he has won more than 40 matches.

Federer improved to 54-12 this season as he competed in his first final since losing to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in June.

The seed, who hit with Nishikori several seasons ago in Miami and had the Asian youngster marked for a promising future, was playing in his 98th ATP final, standing 68-30 and 2-2 in 2011.

Federer nailed five aces and broke on four of 13 chances against Nishikori, who was playing his second final of the season after Houston in the spring. The Swiss saved the only break point he faced.

Federer allowed Nishkori one game in the opening set as the newcomer put up a fight to no avail.

The veteran claimed the opener on a Nishikori double-fault and then broke for 4-2 in the second after producing his third love game.  Federer concluded with a break, setting up a match point with a pass after drawing Nishikori into the net.

“I tried to fight, but Roger would not let me into the match,” said Nishikori. “I’m very glad to have played the final. It’s always been one of my goals to play Roger.”

The challenger goes to Paris with a special exempt entry after reaching the Basel semi-finals.

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SWITZERLAND EXPLAINED

Everything you need to know about Schwingen in Switzerland

Have you heard of Schwingen? Switzerland's national sport involves jute shorts, sawdust, and a whole lot of wrestling,

Published: 7 February 2024 14:19 CET
Everything you need to know about Schwingen in Switzerland

While relatively unknown outside of Switzerland, and largely concentrated in the country’s German-speaking cantons, Schwingen is Switzerland’s homegrown form of wrestling.

In a sawdust ring, two competitors aim to throw each other onto their backs, with both shoulders touching the ground. Each time this is achieved, a point is awarded to the victor.

All this throwing is achieved by grabbing the leather belt attached to the jute shorts worn by the combatants.

As simple as this sounds, there are several styles of Schwingen and hundreds of recorded holds and grips. Size and strength play a significant role in Schwingen, but flexibility cannot be discounted as a factor in determining a champion. 

A proud history 

Like any martial art, the origins of Schwingen are lost to history, but it’s safe to say that just like the Schuhplattler of neighbouring Bavaria – that’s the slappy lederhosen dance – it’s been around for thousands of years, practised by mountain tribes, and later shepherds tending mountain flocks.

The first depictions in art date from the 13th century and the first written records from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, when local church authorities sought to crack down on the rowdy celebrations that these competitions were associated with.

Indeed, Schwingen was massively restricted for hundreds of years, under the fear that it was leading to drunkenness and all manner of other sinning. The large majority of Schwingen meets at this time took place in isolated areas, far from prying eyes. 

All of this changed with the arrival of industrialization, railways and tourism. With many flocking to rural Switzerland for the beauty of outdoor spaces and quaint local customs, Schwingen was brought back to the cities by fascinated spectators and became so popular that it needed to be codified and organized to regulate it.

To this end, the Schwingerverbandes, or Federal Wrestling Association was founded in 1895.

Read More: Schwingen: Everything you need to know about Switzerland’s ‘national sport’

More popular than ever 

Schwingen is now a very popular sport within Switzerland, practised by a dedicated core of amateurs and professionals, and watched by far, far more,

Experiencing a further boom throughout the 20th century, boosted by broadcast media, it became mass entertainment. It’s a televised sport, revolving around several key meets, at the canton and federal levels. In addition to youth Schwingen, there have been women’s competitions since 1980.

The Federal Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival is the apogee of competitive Schwingen, held every three years – think of it like a Swiss Olympics. The next will be in Glarnerland in 2025. 

Another massive event for Schwingen fans is the Unspunnenfest, held every twelve years in Interlaken. The next of these will be held in 2029.

Crowned in 2022, Joel Wicki from the canton of Luzern is the current Swiss Schwingen champion. Topping out at just over six feet, and weighing in at 110kg, he’s far from the biggest contestants – but then again, it’s not always strength that matters in a Schwingen bout. 

Want to get involved? 

While Schwingen isn’t exactly the kind of thing that international visitors generally involve themselves in, there is a fully packed calendar of events throughout the year for spectators.

These range from indoor events in the winter months, to the larger outdoor competitions during the summer. You can find out more on the Federal Wrestling Association’s website.

You can also track Schwingen competitions, and find out where to watch them on TV or online, via Sport.ch.

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