The German tennis men don’t need Alexander Zverev to stay safe in the Davis Cup. Tim Pütz, Kevin Krawietz and Co. don’t let any tension arise in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
With the safe success in the relegation duel in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the selection avoided the threat of relegation for the first time in 20 years, even without their two strongest professionals Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff, and lived up to the association’s demands. In 2024 the team – probably with Zverev again – will continue to play first-class. “Now we are where we belong,” said Krawietz. Kohlmann announced on “ServusTV” that his team wanted to “attack fully” next year. “I think it’s a very, very good generation, a very, very good phase that we’re having in German tennis. Hopefully we can celebrate it again in 2024 with good and great successes.”
Krawietz/Pütz make everything clear
The doubles team Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz got the necessary third point with a confident 6:4, 6:2 on Sunday in Mostar against Damir Dzumhur and Mirza Basic. The team thus averted their first relegation in 20 years.
At the Mostar tennis club, the weakened German team left no doubt about remaining in the world group. “I think we have shown that we can compete for the title. We have a good and a broad team,” said DTB President Dietloff von Arnim: The goal of all players is “to bring the trophy back to Germany at some point fetch”. The last time a German team triumphed in the Davis Cup was in 1993.
Favorite prevails
Even without Zverev and Struff, who were missing due to injury, the German tennis professionals were clear favorites for relegation due to their ranking positions. Nevertheless, von Arnim admitted that there was a lot of nervousness before the start. However, Altmaier and Hanfmann, who were inexperienced in the Davis Cup, ensured a reassuring 2-0 lead with their first victories in the prestigious national competition.
In the coming season, the German Tennis Federation team will continue to take part in the world group of the 24 best nations and will try to qualify for the group phase in February. Last February, the Germans surprisingly lost to Switzerland in Trier, meaning they had to survive relegation.
