Tennis: frustration and defiance after Davis Cup-Aus – “dreams remain”

tennis
Frustration and defiance after Davis Cup-Aus – “Dreams remain”

Deutsche Bank around Alexander Zverev (2nd from right) cheers on Daniel Altmaier (front) during the game against the Swiss Wawrinka. photo

© Harald Tittel/dpa

After many successes, there is a setback for Germany’s tennis men in the Davis Cup. Instead of the title, it’s about relegation. Also because Zverev is looking for his form and there is a lack of good youngsters.

Boris Becker leaned in consternation on an advertising board, Alexander Zverev’s gaze went blank, and Daniel Altmaier cried into his towel – the surprising end in the Davis Cup hit Germany’s tennis men to the core.

After many successful years, in which Germany was a regular guest in the final round of the prestigious competition, Zverev and Co. are now only concerned with staying up in the world group after the 2: 3 against Switzerland in Trier in September. A painful realization – but also one that confirms the trend in German men’s tennis.

Only two Germans in the top 100

Because apart from the successes in the Davis Cup, German men’s tennis has lost touch with the world’s best behind Zverev. This has already become clear in the past few months because Zverev was out due to his serious foot injury. The Olympic champion is the only top player who has covered a lot with his performances in recent years. There has been a big hole behind Zverev for quite some time. Only Oscar Otte (80th) and Daniel Altmaier (91st) are currently in the top 100 – far too few for what is still the largest tennis association in the world.

“Of course that’s not what we want,” said DTB President Dietloff von Arnim, who gave Altmaier a fatherly hug on the way to the press conference after his defeat in the decisive individual against Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka. At 24, Altmaier is the only slightly younger player besides Zverev who at least partially meets higher standards.

There is currently nothing behind it. Jan-Lennard Struff, who was injured in Trier and otherwise always a reliable supplier of points in the Davis Cup, is already 32. Oscar Otte, who is currently looking for his form, is 29 years old. You will look in vain for players with prospects from the younger generation.

And so only Zverev remains, who still has a long way to go to his old strength after his serious foot injury. In Trier, the 25-year-old showed a strong performance in the win against Wawrinka on Friday, which gave hope for more. “That was my best performance since the injury,” said Zverev. On Saturday, however, he again fell far short of his potential when he lost the top individual against Marc-Andrea Hüsler.

Kohlmann: “Switzerland was a bit better”

“As bitter as that is, there will unfortunately still be such matches in the process,” said Zverev, who does not want to despair. “At the end of the day it was much better than in Australia, but not nearly as good as it needs to be,” said the German number one, Zverev wants to make the next attempt at the ATP tournament in Rotterdam the week after next, to regain confidence in his game.

By the clay-court season in April and May, he wants to be back where he was before his injury sustained in the French Open semifinals. “My goal is to play my best tennis again for the clay court season. If it comes earlier, all the better. But I think Monte Carlo is a realistic goal,” said the native of Hamburg with a view to the tournament in his adopted home in mid-April .

On the other hand, Zverev and Co. have to shelve the Davis Cup goal for this year. “It’s bitter,” said team boss Michael Kohlmann, who showed himself to be combative again at the moment of great disappointment. “Switzerland was a bit better, but we still won’t let our dreams fall,” said Kohlmann, referring to the first team title since 1993.

dpa

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