Davis Cup: Hamburg converts to hard court
The intermediate round in the Davis Cup competition 2022 from 14 to 18 September in Hamburg will be played on hard court in line with the other venues Bologna, Valencia and Glasgow.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Apr 29, 2022, 04:12 pm
Dietloff von Arnim is not only President of the German Tennis Association, but also looks back on a successful past as a tournament organizer. Von Arnim was the key man behind the World Team Cup at Düsseldorf's Rochus Club, a team competition not dissimilar in format to the final round of the Davis Cup based on the Kosmos model. Two singles, one double - that was the case in Düsseldorf at the time, and after the opening round, which Germany successfully played in Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of the year, it now also applies to the Davis Cup.
The German team with captain Michael Kohlmann and top player Alexander Zverev is in a good position. As is well known, two quarter-final places will be played at Hamburg's Rothenbaum from September 14th to 18th, with France, Belgium and Australia being drawn as opponents. The DTB was not a supporter of the new format, President von Arnim emphasized this again at a press conference as part of the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Munich, but has decided to make the best of the current situation.
It can be assumed that Zverev will start in Hamburg
The stadium in Hamburg is one of the best on the entire tennis tour, von Arnim continued. For the Davis Cup days, however, the Rothenbaum will show a different face: The game will be played on hard court, as well as at the other locations of this round in Bologna, Valencia and Glasgow. This may mean additional effort for the organizers, but it is certainly an advantage for the players: Because the US Open in New York City ends just a few days before the Davis Cup matches begin. A short-term conversion to the traditional Hamburg sand is not necessary.
The appearance of Alexander Zverev is almost guaranteed, which also underlines the point that Dietloff von Arnim emphasized as the most positive thing about the new format: Because the most recent edition in autumn 2021 included Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev or the strong Italians Players from the absolute top of the world at the start.