Davis Cup record: It works!
The first Davis Cup weekend of 2023 is over. Time for a little summary with a focus on the German encounter in Trier against Switzerland.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Feb 05, 2023, 08:20 pm
Home and away games, just like it used to be. That's what the players and coaches wanted in unison when the conversation turned to the future of the Davis Cup. Well: That's exactly what the participants in round one got in the past few days. And that's not all: The losers of the so-called "qualifiers" in the world group can play again in autumn either at home or abroad against the hopeful aspirants from group 1 (for example against the Danes with Holger Rune or the Greeks with Stefanos Tsitsipas).
However: A home game is not always a home game. While the Americans made it through to the second round in Tashkent against Uzbekistan in front of what felt like eight spectators, Trier has a full hall for a "real" Davis Cup atmosphere. In Rijeka, where the Austrians lost to Croatia, they were somewhere in between.
In any case, a few observations can be summarized from the encounter between Germany and Switzerland, which ended in a 3-2 victory for the Swiss:
- Davis Cup in Germany draws. Of course it helps that with Alexander Zverev and Stan Wawrinka there were two players at the start who had already won a gold medal at the Olympics and were able to succeed at majors (don't forget: Zverev won the junior competition in Australia). It can even be assumed that the Arena Trier would have been full even without the two stars.
- After two intensive weeks of the Australian Open, the use of line personnel seems almost anachronistic. Nothing against the women and men who have given their best: But shouldn't the automatic Hawkeye be used in the Davis Cup, where the home advantage is not only due to the audience?
- The idea that the number one in one country plays the number two in the other on the first day, followed by doubles, could be examined. Because there is a risk that the top individual on the second day could be irrelevant. If it is 3:0 for a team. That was also possible in the good old days. But, if memory doesn't deceive, the individual matches were actually drawn at that time.
- The international competition is always a big class reunion of the former top players. Germany could come up with Boris Becker, Eric Jelen and Carl-Uwe Steeb, who were at the start in Trier for different reasons. After all, the Swiss had the Olympic champion from 1992 in their luggage: Marc Rosset.
- Speaking of Switzerland: Solidarity with Roger Federer remains high even after his career has ended: almost the entire army of Swiss media representatives was out and about with a shoe brand in which the maestro holds shares.
- All in all, it can be said: it works! Apart from the fact that the transmission of the international match in the stream didn't work well. And: Perhaps one too often took a “yes, but” with you. Yes, it's great here with the fans and the mode. But in autumn, at least this year, it will be different. Right (for Switzerland). But you could have enjoyed the moment a little more.