ATP Cup: Melzer, Marach, Mies and Krawietz could decide
The qualification for the ATP Cup was based on the position of the respective national top player. The doubles will probably tip the scales.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jan 02, 2020, 09:16 am
When Jürgen Melzer and Oliver Marach in Premstätten and at the same time Andreas Mies and Kevin Krawietz in Düsseldorf go to court for Austria and Germany at the beginning of March 2020, then with the knowledge that after their doubles there would still be two single games about the move-in could decide in the final tournament in the Davis Cup. Unless the games against Austria against Uruguay and Germany against Belarus are 2-0 after the first day for one of the four teams. Then Marach / Melzer and / or Krawietz / Mies would either have to prevent defeat. Or could fix the climb.
A different format is used for the ATP Cup. Only two singles are played, then the double. Just as the Germans got to know at the Davis Cup final in Madrid. There came the end for Michael Kohlmann's team in the quarterfinals against Great Britain. Austria could not qualify after the home loss to Chile.
Marach and Melzer win in Hamburg
There, however, the two veterans Marach and Melzer got one of the two points for red-white-red, in Sydney there should now be at least three. Austria meets Croatia, Poland and Argentina - and thanks to the exposed position of Dominic Thiem after the paper form as a favorite in the respective top singles. Behind it it gets a bit hairy, especially because the Croatians brought Marin Cilic behind Borna Coric (first match on Saturday from 8:30 a.m.CET, live on Sky and in Austria on ServusTV), and Guido Pella is also against Austria's number two Dennis Novak to be seen as a favorite.
So it is all the more important that Marach / Melzer come back to the common form they were in in summer 2019: there was the tournament victory in Hamburg, after the first round loss to Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov in Vienna, the two separated Experienced on the ATP tour. The very first task turns into a big test: with Nikola Mektic and Ivan Dodig the Croatians bring two proven experts to the field. Mektic, whose main partner until Alexander Peya's injury, won two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments with different partners in 2019. And together with Jürgen Melzer the title in Sofia.
Krawietz and Mies against no double
Andreas Mies and Kevin Krawietz have only recently had their premiere when it comes to international fights. And were harmless at the Davis Cup final in Madrid. After the effortless opening win against Barrios / Tabilo from Chile, the Germans had to take on a mammoth feat against Leonardo mayer and Maximo Gonzalez, winning the tie break of the third set with 20:18. In the ATP Cup, a tie break to ten is played instead of the third set, and the no-ad rule is also used.
In Brisbane Krawietz / Mies will not meet a well-rehearsed double. The Canadians could also bring their two lone fighters Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime in pairs, Australia will rely on John Peers. It remains to be seen whether John Millman will be by his side. And for Greece, Stefanos Tsitsipas has to do pretty much everything on his own anyway. Good prospects for the German rising duo.