Davis Cup: Germany squad with stuff and head - but without Zverev
Michael Kohlmann has nominated his team for the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals (November 25th to December 5th) in Innsbruck. The German captain will contest the finals of the traditional international competition with Jan-Lennard Struff, Dominik Koepfer, Peter Gojowczyk, Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz.
by PM
last edit: Oct 25, 2021, 12:36 pm
“The five guys are burning for the finals and are happy to play for the national team and the German fans. We can achieve a lot in this constellation and we are well positioned across the board, ”said Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann confidently. “Struffi, Dominik and Gojo repeatedly show how strong they are on the tour. In addition, the three of them get over their emotions a lot and can outgrow themselves for Germany. In addition, with Kevin and Tim we have two absolute world-class doubles with us who can score in the important moments, ”Kohlmann continued.
Struff leads the German team as the most experienced player
The team is led by Jan-Lennard Struff (ATP ranking 53), who will be representing the German colors in the Davis Cup for the eleventh time and who was decisive for the finals with his two wins against Belarus in 2020. “Playing for Germany is always an honor for me. I'm looking forward to spending time together in the team, ”said the German.
Jan-Lennard Struff is followed individually by Dominik Koepfer (ATP ranking 62) and Peter Gojowczyk (ATP ranking 86). It will be Koepfer's second appearance on the Davis Cup team. The 27-year-old scored a point against Belarus in the last individual for Germany in 2020. In addition, this year the left-hander reached the semifinals of the ATP 500 in Acapulco and the quarter-finals of the ATP 250 in Geneva. With rank 50, the 32-year-old also achieved the best ranking of his career so far this year.
Peter Gojowczyk, whose first appearance in the Davis Cup was more than seven years ago, has achieved considerable success in the current season with two semi-finals in Metz and Montpellier (both ATP 250) and reaching the round of 16 at the US Open.
Krawietz and Pütz with a flawless Davis Cup record
The team is completed by the doubles specialists Kevin Krawietz (ATP doubles ranking 12) and Tim Pütz (ATP doubles ranking 25), both of whom have flawless Davis Cup results. Like Struff and Koepfer, Krawietz was part of the German squad that qualified for the finals in Düsseldorf in 2020. Together with Andreas Mies, he scored an important point for Germany at the time.
Tim Pütz has won all of his four Davis Cup matches so far in doubles alongside Jan-Lennard Struff. His season is also impressive: the 33-year-old won the tournaments in Estoril, Lyon and Hamburg and reached the semifinals at the Masters tournaments in Madrid and Indian Wells. That year, Pütz and Krawietz formed a team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo that made it to the last sixteen.
Alexander Zverev still not there
Michael Kohlmann has to forego the participation of Alexander Zverev again. The currently best German player had said from the start that he would not take part in the reformed Davis Cup final . “After a long season with the Olympics and the ATP Finals, there is only a short break before the season starts in Australia. At the ATP Cup in early 2022, Sascha will again represent the German colors. Therefore it is impossible for him to compete in Innsbruck. He loves to help the team at the Davis Cup and to play for his country, but the format and the date do not allow him to participate this year, ”said Sergej Bubka, manager of Alexander Zverev.
The traditional competition will be held for the second time this year in the new format with a qualifying round and a week of finals. Germany secured the ticket for the Davis Cup Finals in Innsbruck in March 2020 in Düsseldorf with a 4-1 victory over Belarus. Michael Kohlmann's team is one of 18 teams fighting for the traditional title.
Davis Cup 2021: how will it be played?
Groups F (Germany, Austria, Serbia) and C (France, Great Britain, Czech Republic) will be held in Innsbruck. The DTB selection starts on November 27th against Serbia in the competition. The match against the Serbian team, which has been led by exceptional player Novak Djokovic in recent years, is scheduled for around 4 p.m. One day later, the German team takes on the hosts from Austria. The two group winners will then play for a place in the semi-finals on November 30th, which, like the final, will be held in Madrid. Even the two best runners-up in the group still have a chance of remaining in the competition. In the quarter-finals in Madrid, the winners of Group A and B will compete against the second-placed teams with the best record.
In addition to Innsbruck and Madrid, Turin is another venue for the Davis Cup finals. The group matches of group D (Croatia, Australia, Hungary) and E (USA, Italy, Colombia) as well as a quarter-finals will take place in the Pala Alpitour Arena in Turin. In addition to the group matches (group A: Spain, Russia, Ecuador and B: Canada, Kazakhstan, Sweden), two of the four quarter-finals as well as the semi-finals and the final will be played in the Spanish capital. All matches are played on hard court, each encounter consists of two singles and one double.