Davis Cup: Austria is looking for Thiem for Final Wildcard 2020
The Austrian Tennis Association has applied to the ITF for a wildcard for the Davis Cup final tournament in Madrid. That has good reasons.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Nov 12, 2019, 01:58 pm
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has not just made friends with its new Davis Cup mode in the tennis scene. For the first time, a final tournament with 18 participating nations will take place in Madrid next week. The ITF has given the associations of Great Britain and Argentina wildcards, probably in the hope that they give the event even more shine with Andy Murray (long in limbo, but now) and Juan Martin del Potro (missing due to injury).
With this argument, the Austrian Tennis Association (ÖTV) has asked the ITF for a wildcard for 2020. For good reasons, and not just because of the great Davis Cup tradition with Thomas Muster, Jürgen Melzer and co .: Dominic Thiem has established himself in the top ten for years, and has good memories of the Caja Magical in Madrid. But he would probably have to do a logistical hussar piece, if he wanted to help the Austrian team with the qualification: This is scheduled for 6 and 7 March.
Thiem would probably have to go on a world tour
The problem from Thiem's point of view: As in the past year, the Lower Austrian will take the South American clay court tour, possibly play in Acapulco, but certainly want to defend his title in Indian Wells. However, the tournament in the Californian desert begins on March 12th. Thiem would have to travel from South America to the Davis Cup first round match, then back to the USA.
The next problem: The draw for this first round takes place only at the end of November, there is no planning certainty. The decision on the wildcards is on 23 November. What brings the ÖTV in the bad mood, as CEO Thomas Schweda told tennisnet - after all, in the case of a home game so a suitable hall for the first weekend of March 2020 will be booked. However, most of the venues in question are already fully booked. At the beginning of 2019, Austria had lost 2-3 to Chile at home.