Davis Cup: Moving with a future
Madrid or Málaga – the main thing is the Davis Cup Finals? After two years in the Spanish capital, the final tournament of the "World Cup of Tennis" landed in Andalusia's second largest metropolis for the first time this year. A decision that, based on impressions on site this week, can definitely be welcomed.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Nov 29, 2022, 04:13 pm
Apart from the search for the right format, the quarrels between the world association ITF, the organizers of Kosmos Tennis and the ATP, the venue was also repeatedly criticized. A right mood could not be created - perhaps with the exception of the matches with Spanish participation - neither at the premiere edition of the new event in 2019 nor after the compulsory pandemic break in 2021. A lack of acceptance among the fans and the cool atmosphere in the Caja Mágica, which, due to its architecture and extensive VIP boxes on the sidelines, makes it difficult to let the sparks jump from the stands to the court.
From Madrid to Malaga
So the organizers chose the Palacio de Deportes Martín Carpena, located almost 530 kilometers south of Madrid. The multifunctional arena with a capacity of more than 10,000 seats in the south of Malaga usually serves as a sports venue for the local basketball club.
The Palacio de Deportes de Málaga was inaugurated in 1999. A year later it was given the name of the politician José Maria Martín Carpena of the Spanish People's Party, Partido Popular, who was assassinated by the Basque underground organization ETA in July 2000.
German team with a positive conclusion
"I thought the atmosphere was cool today," explained Jan-Lennard Struff after his three-set win over Denis Shapovalov in Germany's quarter-final game against Canada, which was attended by almost 9,000 spectators last Thursday evening. “Our people as well as the Canadian fans raised a lot of alarm. The stadium seemed full. I also perceived the atmosphere in the other matches as very good. The event is fun. The arena is cool, the hotel is good and everything is well organized.”
Due to the fact that the intermediate round was held in Hamburg in September, at least a few matches could be played in front of a home crowd this year, despite a few visits to Rothenbaum this year.
“The competition has changed again and again in recent years. Of course it was nice for us to be able to play in Hamburg. The home game pushed us. I don't know how things will go in the next few years. Even if it's late in the calendar, it's a cool event overall," said Struff.
"When all the teams come to one place, as is the case here, it also has its appeal," said Tim Pütz on record. “However, I found traditional home and away games to be a better format. It's shorter now, which is also a plus given our busy tournament schedule. Great effort is made here. However, you have to wait a little until a new Davis Cup system has been established. But in the end you will probably never be able to please all players.”