Davis Cup Final 2014: Day 3 Scores and Results for France vs. Switzerland

Roger Federer ensured Switzerland claimed the nation's first ever Davis Cup title on Sunday, beating Richard Gasquet in three sets in the tournament's fourth rubber.

Federer made quick work of his opponent to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in ruthlessly efficient fashion to claim one trophy that had previously eluded him. His triumph handed Switzerland an unassailable 3-1 lead ahead of the final rubber.

Federer, who had failed to claim a Grand Slam win in 2014, was obviously upbeat. But he was also keen to stress the team nature of this victory, per Sunday Times reporter Barry Flatman:

Flatman also noted how lifting the Davis Cup leaves only one more milestone in Federer's incredible career:

The Davis Cup victory was testament to Federer's preparation and ability to adapt on the fly. Gasquet was an 11th-hour change by the French.

He stepped in for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga after a late nomination change, per the competition's official Twitter feed:

But the change did little to rattle the irrepressible Federer. The Swiss master lost the first game but never looked back after that.

He claimed the first two sets to give Gasquet a mammoth task. The Frenchman was left needing to win three-straight sets for France to claim the win.

That was never really likely, despite a bullish effort that claimed the first game of the third set. Federer, for the first time, was briefly tested in front of a fiercely vociferous crowd at the Stade PM.

Ultimately, though, the charged atmosphere did little to shake the 33-year-old's assurance. That was despite a brilliant backhand volley from Gasquet that set him up to win the third game.

Federer eventually broke the strong but predictable Gasquet serve to establish a stranglehold on the third set. It was a rare moment when the Gasquet backhand was wayward, as Sports Illustrated Tennis described:

That moment encapsulated the pattern of the match. Break points were non-existent for Gasquet, while Federer routinely found ways to shatter his opponent's service game:

To his credit, Gasquet still wouldn't be easily dismissed. He continued to scrap but had too few answers for Federer, whose precision demanded perfection from the Frenchman.

That was always going to prove too much. Federer won points off 29 of 72 returns for a hugely impressive 40 percent success rate, per FlashScore.com. He also converted five break points.

Federer's dominance meant there was no need for teammate Stanislas Wawrinka to even leave his seat. But he would've enjoyed simply being a spectator more than prospective opponent Gael Monfils, who had to endure the sight of his nation relinquishing the Davis Cup:

With a 5-2 lead and serving from the Davis Cup end of the court, Federer secured history with a delicate lob. That gave the Swiss a first Davis Cup crown and surely adds further weight to those who name Federer the greatest player of all time.