Davis Cup boss Michael Kohlmann - "Many question marks at the ATP Cup"
The German Davis Cup team reached the semi-finals of the Davis Cup final tournament last week. Captain Michael Kohlmann in a tennisnet interview about the days of Innsbruck and Madrid, the prospects for the meeting in Brazil and the most difficult group at the ATP Cup.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Dec 09, 2021, 07:19 pm
tennisnet : Mr. Kohlmann. First Innsbruck, then Madrid. You were on the road with the German Davis Cup team for two weeks. Was this the longest business trip in your coaching career?
Michael Kohlmann : With regard to the Davis Cup, certainly. In the youth sector, I have been out and about for two weeks in a row at U-18 cups, with the preliminary and final rounds that merged into one another.
tennisnet : How important is team building - in advance?
Kohlmann : What has really grown in our team is that the cornerstones of the team have been working together for years. Know each other and the processes inside out. Everyone knows what their job is. We get along very well in the supervisory team. Carlo Thränhardt is a bit of the link to the team, and Basti Arnold as a physiotherapist also has a lot to do with the players. The same goes for Tim Kinateder, our Doc, or Dirk Dier. Klaus Eberhard as sports director is also one of those people who have really been there for the last six years. We know each other extremely well - and the players know them well too. And know what to expect from everyone. That's why the team chemistry fits so well.
"The new format is fast moving"
tennisnet : The new format meant that some of the knock-out matches took place very quickly. Like the German end against Russia. There was at least one second encounter in the group. Is this the charm of the new format for you? Or is that one of the big criticisms? In the past, you could iron out a defeat in doubles on Saturday, maybe even on Sunday.
Kohlmann : The two systems cannot be compared with one another at all. During the days of Innsbruck and Madrid we discussed again and again that this format is very, very fast-moving. We already experienced that in the group: We win against Serbia and then one day later we are suddenly 1-0 down against Austria. If we had lost we would have been completely out. The new system is a bit more like a tournament. In the end, it doesn't have to be so bad for the audience. In the old system, however, we worked all week towards the weekend - and also had time to sleep over a night and think of new variants. That is not possible right now. If the first game is lost, you have to win. Otherwise the double is a dead rubber.
tennisnet : Just like you did in the semifinals ...
Kohlmann : It was too fast for us against Russia. We didn't really get into the game. The Russians have two strong individual players who also played very well that day. I had seen phases of weakness at Rublev in previous matches. We didn't take him there. Without looking for excuses, I have to say: It wasn't that easy to get used to the different conditions in Madrid compared to Innsbruck. Russia had already been in Madrid ten days longer. And we were told that Andrey Rublev also had some problems at the beginning.
"Brazil will be a big organizational task"
tennisnet : Now the qualification games for the Davis Cup final round 2022 were drawn at the weekend. Germany has to go to Brazil. Not a dreamless, to put it mildly.
Kohlmann : I think Brazil is one of the teams that is really uncomfortable. They certainly won't play hard courts against us. With Thiago Monteiro you have a top 100 man, Thiago Seyboth Wild is around 120, he is also not that easy to play at home and has already been in the semifinals of the 500 in Rio. In addition, there is a real world-class double with Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo. That’s a tough lot. I'll talk to the players about their plans as soon as possible. In the week before, there are two options with Acapulco and Dubai. Dubai would be too long a journey, Acapulco is not around the corner either. It's going to be a big organizational task. As the year went, I do hope that I can fall back on the majority of the players.
tennisnet : Also on Alexander Zverev , who can't get anything out of the final format? But maybe a nice away game in the old Davis Cup tradition?
Kohlmann : Maybe. In addition, with Marcelo Melo Sascha's best friend on the ATP tour on the other side may be there. Sascha actually always plays in Acapulco and is the defending champion there. Of course we'll try to get him to Brazil. But that won't be acute for a few months.
"The German group at the ATP Cup is the most difficult"
tennisnet: More recently there will be the third edition of the ATP Cup. There Germany was drawn into a group with Great Britain, the USA and, of course, Canada again. How do you assess this constellation?
Kohlmann : When I look at all the groups, I think ours is the most difficult.
tennisnet : Wait a minute! What about the group with Russia, Italy, Austria and Australia?
Kohlmann : There are many question marks in all other groups. First in Serbia, whether Djokovic is playing at all. Then with the Austrians, how far Dominic Thiem is already. And with the Greeks, whether Stefanos Tsitsipas is fit again after his operation. I don't see a question mark in our group. Denis Shapovalov and Félix Auger-Aliassime have canceled the Davis Cup, but not due to injury. Taylor Fitz has already won against Sascha, John Isner is not a bad number two. The British with Cameron Norrie and Daniel Evans are solid. But you have to hit it first. If you look at the world rankings of the second individual players, Jan-Lennard Struff is the worst in 51st place.
tennisnet : In the German team you could have expected the comeback of the pairing Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies. And Tim Pütz with his tour partner Michael Venus possibly at a parallel tournament. As in the Davis Cup and the Olympics in Tokyo, Krawietz and Pütz are now doubles. Has that always been the plan?
Kohlmann : The ATP Cup is based on the ranking list. And Kevin is currently the best doubles player and Tim is the second best. And if the two of them call, then they're on the team. Unless one would do without. The ATP Cup is something special in the financial as well as in the team area. Kevin and Tim wanted to be there. This made it clear that the combination of Krawietz and Mies at the ATP Cup would not come about. Those involved have been aware of this for a long time and everyone agrees with it.