Davis Cup: Everything has a (bitter) end - also for Krawietz and Pütz
Actually, the Davis Cup quarter-final game against Canada in Málaga with Jan-Lennard Struff's success against Denis Shapovalov went according to the ideas of the German team. But then the winning streak of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz broke.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Nov 25, 2022, 07:20 am
Tim Pütz and Kevin Krawietz rejected the idea that they would not lose another doubles match until the end of their active days at the Davis Cu intermediate round in Hamburg in September. Strictly speaking, there was already a defeat in the common vita at this point: At the ATP Cup in early 2022, Krawietz / Pütz were quite clearly at a disadvantage against John Isner and Taylor Fritz.
Nevertheless: The fact that Germany would start a decisive double against Canada as a slight favorite would probably not have been indignantly rejected by team boss Michael Kohlmann. Apart from the fact that Kohlmann's indignation is far away. The Head of Men's Tennis in the German Tennis Association comes from the analytical side, which doesn't mean that he doesn't also coach emotionally on the court. But Kohlmann will have thought after a first sentence, in which nothing really worked with Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil: We're not done yet.
2023 again with Zverev?
And indeed: Pospisil, who played decent tennis at a Challenger in Drummondville last week, and Shapovalov, who certainly did not play tennis in the Maldives at the same time, suddenly found their rhythm after renewed difficulties at the beginning of set two. And will be able to compete with the Italians on Saturday. Probably even as a favorite if Shapovalov shakes the rest of his vacation out of his bones.
Germany will make the next attempt in the coming year. Hopefully with an Alexander Zverev who is not only healthy but also just as motivated for Davis Cup appearances as he has shown this season. There was of course the special constellation with Hamburg, which, due to the rather meager audience response, does not necessarily call for a repeat. Without Zverev, Jan-Lennard Struff always has to pull himself together to perform at his best, which he again did brilliantly against Denis Shapovalov. As number one, Oscar Otte, on the other hand, has to deal with opponents who seem just a hair's breadth out of reach on normal days.
At the moment it's time to lick wounds, after last year's semi-finals, getting into the finals again is a solid result. The next test for the German national team will soon be after the Australian Open, when the Davis Cup will start in 2023. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz will then be well attuned wherever they travel. As is well known, the two have also promised each other for the regular tour.