USuddenly Tim Pütz was a sought-after man of the world. As a doubles player, who has been fighting with his Coburg partner Kevin Krawietz in the tennis circus since this season, the Frankfurter is known in every respect as a quick-witted guy. But what he did as part of mixed doubles with Miyu Kato went well beyond the usual assist on the tennis circuit.
After the two had converted their match point in the French Open quarterfinals against the Brazilians Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos from Brazil to 7: 6, 6: 2, the German hugged his badly battered playing partner.
An hour later in the press conference, when Kato’s voice broke after the first question in English and she began to cry, Pütz handed her handkerchief after handkerchief and spoke in her place. The doubles partner suddenly became a comforter and mouthpiece.
The 35-year-old explained on Monday how his colleague was doing after her disqualification in women’s doubles the day before. Kato had hit a felt ball across the field in a brief stoppage, hitting a ball girl in the chest.
It was out of carelessness, not anger, but the Japanese was disqualified for it at 6-7, 3-1. Although she apologized directly in 14th place at Roland Garros, as well as later on social networks: But the supervisors of the French Open showed no mercy. In the doubles competition with the Indonesian Aldila Sutjiadi, the devastated Kato was no longer allowed to play in Paris, points and prize money were cancelled.
distraction from success
She can continue at Pütz’ side. “First of all, we are all happy that the ball girl is okay,” said the Frankfurter the day after. But: “In the locker room, many people immediately said that it was the worst disqualification they have ever seen.” Like probably many other tennis professionals, Pütz immediately thought of what would have happened if he had been in Miyu Kato’s place himself. “I don’t know if I’d be happy again in a hurry.”
After all, the Japanese is distracted by the semi-finals with Pütz and brought out of her low. Pütz actually wanted to make headlines with his doubles partner Krawietz. Only incidentally and at the last minute did the Frankfurter also register for the mixed competition.
However, the hoped-for coup with the Coburg Krawietz did not materialize. In the quarter-finals on Tuesday, the two Germans lost to the 38-year-old Bosnian veteran Ivan Dodig and the American Austin Krajicek, who was almost six years his junior, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5 and 4-6. The Germans, who had been seeded eleventh in Paris, were doomed by a lost service game by Pütz right at the beginning of the third set.
Pütz and 31-year-old Krawietz are playing their first season together after parting ways with their long-term partners. Krawietz won the French Open alongside Andreas Mies from Cologne in 2019 and 2020, Pütz played primarily with Michael Venus from New Zealand. Krawietz and Pütz have known and appreciated each other for a long time, have formed the German Davis Cup doubles in nine international matches and won eight times.
In Paris they completed their eighth tournament together. In Munich they lost in the final, in Monte Carlo in the semifinals and at the French Open in the last eight. But the interaction is getting better and better, says Pütz: “We get used to what the other likes and doesn’t like so much. It’s a process that you can’t shorten.” Together you have to have played “really good and really bad matches” in order to perfect everything. Despite all the frustration, the quarter-final defeat against Dodig/Krajicek, who were fourth seeded, was one of the better games.
Very old
The two Germans have already had a few moments of shock: in the Davis Cup, where they just won a series of hotly contested matches. Or three weeks ago at the tournament in Rome when Pütz was injured.
He wasn’t able to play the second round match and was concerned briefly whether he would be fit again for the start of the tournament in Paris. He’s back to his old self, unlike last year’s French Open, when he had also injured himself shortly before and failed with Venus in the third round. “Now I no longer have the feeling that I’m behind in training,” said Pütz in an interview with the FAZ
Four men are involved in training: Pütz and his coach Dominik Meffert, Krawietz brought his coach Lukas Wolf into the sporting relationship. The division of labor works: Meffert looks after the doubles at one tournament, at the next wolf. “They look a lot alike,” says Pütz. “It exceeds our expectations because it’s great fun and we play successfully for the most part.” Just for fun, they even thought about going on vacation together with the wives and children. But that is still a secret in the Pütz and Krawietz families. How about Paris?
