Without Alexander Zverev, the German team has to avoid relegation in the Davis Cup in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The future of competition is unclear after the failed reform.
from SID
last edited: September 14, 2023, 2:31 p.m
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As is well known, Alexander Zverev will be missing in Mostar
Alexander Zverev is having a good time in Corsica. While his Davis Cup teammates in Bosnia-Herzegovina are getting ready for a hot duel to stay in the league, the ailing German top star is enjoying a break on the picturesque Mediterranean island with his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla. This makes the mission in Mostar noticeably more complicated for national coach Michael Kohlmann.
“It would definitely have helped if you had someone there who had already scored several points for Germany,” said Kohlmann before the game on Saturday (12 p.m.) and Sunday (10.30 a.m. / ServusTV). The 49-year-old now relies primarily on Daniel Altmaier and Yannick Hanfmann in the heat of Mostar in an atmospheric atmosphere in the individuals. Jan-Lennard Struff is not yet available again after a long injury break, Maximilian Marterer and the double Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz complete the team, which is the favorite even without Zverev.
The hosts have a former world number 23 in Damir Dzumhur. to offer. A painful cut for the German Tennis Federation (DTB) and the third relegation after 1982 and 2003 from the world group should definitely be avoided. “We have to prepare well, do our homework and get close to our performance limit so that we can say afterwards that we have overcome the hurdle and give ourselves the chance to attack again in 2024,” said Kohlmann, who was optimistic.
Return to the old mode?
It is still unclear what the traditional competition will look like next year. The discussions about the once so popular Davis Cup are currently heating up again. The Swiss Stan Wawrinka provided the latest impetus with a not-so-friendly “thank you” from Manchester to former soccer star Gerard Pique (36) and the world tennis association ITF. Wawrinka, champion in 2014, garnished his message from the group venue for the finals with a video that showed a yawningly empty hall before the duel between Switzerland and France. Numerous prominent figures joined in the criticism.
The attempt by Pique and his company Kosmos to dust off the time-honored competition had previously failed resoundingly. In 2018 he was awarded the contract by the ITF for three billion dollars and 25 years, but the ITF then pulled the emergency brake this January and booted Kosmos out again. The result is a legal dispute with Pique demanding millions. Now a new concept is needed. Many critics are calling for a return to the traditional mode with a real home game character.
It is possible that DTB President Dietloff von Arnim will exert greater influence on the future. The new president of the world association will be elected on September 24th. Von Arnim, who described the ITF’s handling of the Davis Cup as “appalling”, is the only challenger to incumbent David Haggerty (USA) in Cancun/Mexico.
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Zverev Alexander
2023-09-14 13:25:00
#Mission #Mostar #ohne #Zverev
