German tennis men want to go to Madrid again

Via Düsseldorf to Madrid: The German tennis men want to go to the Davis Cup finals again this year. That their top player is missing is not an issue.

Dusseldorf (AP) - Brisbane in January, now Dusseldorf, and Madrid again in November: Germany's tennis team wants to qualify as a conspiratorial bunch again this year for the finals in the Davis Cup.

For this, the team of team boss Michael Kohlmann on Friday and Saturday in Dusseldorf must live up to his favorite role against Belarus.

The selection of the German Tennis Federation could benefit from the fact that, with the exception of Alexander Zverev, who was missing in Düsseldorf, they were already together in the current constellation at the ATP Cup in Australia at the beginning of the year. "It definitely helps. You get to know and appreciate each other better," said tennis legend Boris Becker in the Castello in Düsseldorf about the many times they had spent together in the past few months.

In the 3000-seat arena, the three-time Wimbledon winner in a white team tracksuit watched the draw from the stands that brought Germany's number one Jan-Lennard Struff and Belarusian Ilja Iwaschka together for the opening game on Friday (4:00 p.m. / sportdeutschland.tv). After that, veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber and Egor Gerassimow face each other.

Otherwise Becker is right in the middle. "It is a lot of fun for me. Michael and I have a very good exchange," said Becker, responsible for the men's area at the DTB. Everyone's goal this weekend is clear: the final round in Madrid (November 23-29), which has been held with 18 teams since last year.

"When we left last year, we thought we wanted to go back there," said Kohlmann. "It was an experience." Germany failed in the quarter-finals against Great Britain in 2019. "We felt that we were close to the top nations and wanted to make two more rounds next time."

But first of all, you have to beat Belarus. "We are favorites, we play at home," said veteran Kohlschreiber. "But it shouldn't make you take it too lightly," warned the 36-year-old Davis Cup veteran. But even without top player Alexander Zverev, who decided not to travel to Germany between the tournaments in Acapulco in Mexico and Indian Wells, it would be a bitter disappointment to leave. After all, the Belarusians are now known to insiders, even if Gerassimow is the number 68 in the world and most recently reached the quarterfinals at the tournament in Marseille.

Nevertheless, everyone in the German camp expects a 2-0 lead after the first day. On Saturday (12.00 p.m.) the German double Kevin Krawietz / Andreas Mies will meet Gerassimow and Andrej Wassilewski before Struff play against Gerassimow and Kohlschreiber play against Iwaschka.

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