ATP Cup: Dominic Thiem out, chance for Lucas Miedler?
As in the Davis Cup final round in Innsbruck, Dennis Novak will lead the Austrian team at the ATP Cup in Sydney in the absence of Dominic Thiem. On the other hand, number two is probably new: Lucas Miedler .
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Dec 22, 2021, 07:58 am
The procedure at the ATP Cup is as follows: The world ranking position of the best player, who named for the still quite new team competition of the ATP, determines a nation's right to participate. In the case of Austria, Dominic Thiem, number 15, was good enough. Whoever plays behind it, however, does not determine the top-ranked man in the team, but in turn the world rankings: Whoever names and does not have a better player in his nation can also compete in the team.
In Germany, for example, Dominik Koepfer or Peter Gojowczyk did without, but Yannick Hanfmann raised his hand, who is far behind Koepfer and Gojowczyk in the ranking. Knowing full well that it will normally not be used unless Alexander Zverev or Jan-Lennard Struff are absent for some reason.
Thiem cancels because of a cold
In the Austrian selection, some reasons have actually occurred. Because after Dominic Thiem's cancellation, who caught a cold during the training days in Dubai and therefore renounces the ATP Cup, Dennis Novak moves up to position one. And Lucas Miedler will, as of now, be the second individual player. The situation is not new for Novak: Most recently, Günter Bresnik's protégé was also in the lead in the Davis Cup team.
Lucas Miedler, on the other hand, will have to deal with players whom, as number 291 in the world, he would otherwise not meet in his missions. The highest ranked player against whom Mielder competed in singles this season was Frances Tiafoe (number 49 in the world at the time) in the second qualifying round in Vienna. The most notable successes, on the other hand, were in doubles alongside Alexander Erler: Of course, the surprising triumph in Kitzbühel stands above all, but Erler / Miedler also recommended themselves for higher tasks on the Challenger Tour. Most recently with the tournament victory in Forli.
In the individual at the ATP Cup it will at least be interesting for Miedler: Against the Russians there is a threat of a duel with Andrey Rublev, number five in the world. According to the entry list, Miedler should play against Jannik Sinner (currently number ten) against Italy, unless Matteo Berrettini is not fit and Sinner moves up. Then he would have to play against Lorenzo Sonego. No honey licking either. Only the Australians offer a number two with James Duckworth, which does not seem like an insurmountable obstacle per se. On the other hand: Against Tiafoe, Miedler was pretty close to the sensation in the town hall. And the American then fought his way to the final.
One possibility would of course be for Austria to nominate another individual player with the approval of the ATP. Jurij Rodionov, who scored the only point of the weekend against Germany in Innsbruck, would offer himself here. Rodionov called at the same time as the ATP Cup in Adelaide. However, he doesn't even have a place in the qualification table.
Greece without Tsitsipas?
Austria is not the only nation where the difference in the rankings between the players is fairly large. Should, for example, Stefanos Tsitsipas , fourth in the world rankings, not be able to play in Sydney after his elbow operation, Michail Pervolarakis would go into the Bütt as number one. And he is in the world rankings at number 398. Petros Tsitsipas would then probably play behind. The 21-year-old is currently at position 764.
It doesn't look much better for Georgia: If Nikoloz Basilashvili had to retire, Aleksandre Metreveli would suddenly contest the single single for the Georgians. He is currently ranked 569th in the charts. And could actually contest the top individual against Michail Pervolarakis. Because Greece was drawn into a group with Georgia. Probably not exactly what the ATP had in mind when the team competition was launched in early 2020. But Tsitsipas and Basilashvili are still on the list of participants.