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Tennis team defeats Djokovic and Co. in the Davis Cup

The first step to the desired quarter-finals has been taken: In the Davis Cup, the German tennis team won’t let Novak Djokovic stop them either. The double made up for a deficit.

The win against the Serbian tennis selection around Novak Djokovic gives the German Davis Cup team an excellent chance of reaching the quarter-finals. Even without top player Alexander Zverev, team boss Michael Kohlmann’s team prevailed 2-1 in Innsbruck on Saturday. In the final doubles, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz got the necessary point with a 7: 6 (7: 5), 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 5) against Djokovic and Nikola Cacic. “It’s a great achievement to beat a team with the world’s number one. It’s unreal,” said Kohlmann: “We all really believed in it – and it paid off in the end.”

On Sunday (4.00 p.m. / ServusTV) Germany will be the favorite in the preliminary round with hosts Austria and can make the group victory perfect with another success.

No spectators allowed

Dominik Koepfer took the lead against the Serbs in the individual with a 7: 6 (7: 4), 6: 4 against Filip Krajinovic. Jan-Lennard Struff then had to admit defeat to 20-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic 2: 6, 4: 6. The “aura” of the top tennis star was not only noticeable in singles, but also in doubles, warned Struff.

From the German box he then had to watch in the corona-related spectator-empty Olympic hall how the doubles turned in favor of the Serbs. But Krawietz and Pütz fought their way back in the third set after a 2: 4 and sparked German cheers. It was only shortly before the match that the Serbs changed the line-up and put Cacic on the side of Djokovic instead of Krajinovic.

Struff was initially bent after his clear defeat against Djokovic. “I thought I made it a bit too easy for him. I was definitely stressed. I have planned a lot,” said the world number 51. and told how the special “aura” of the world’s number one had influenced him: “I may have thought a little bit about how to beat him.”

Struff leads the German team

Because Zverev, who defeated Djokovic at the ATP Finals a week ago, does not participate in the Davis Cup, Struff takes on the role of leader. The Sauerland had got tips from Zverev, but got off to a very bad start against Djokovic. He didn’t make a point in the first two games. The match was not nearly as one-sided as the beginning, but Struff was quickly behind in the second set. “He attacked the balls strongly and quickly got to the point. That surprised me a little,” explained Struff.

Koepfer had previously withstood the pressure that his point would be particularly important given the difficult task that followed. The fighting nature convinced with his aggressive appearance and thanks to team boss Michael Kohlmann kept calm. “He played brilliantly today,” said DTB sports director Klaus Eberhard.

Although the world rankings were 54. against Krajinovic, who was twelve places in front of him, a break in the first set and let the opponent come up again in the second round after an interim 4: 1 and 5: 3 advantage. The Black Forest native was able to collect the congratulations of his teammates after just under two hours.

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