Davis Cup: Tsitsipas and Rune collapse under the weight
Neither Greece nor Denmark will play in the Davis Cup World Group next year. The top players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune failed in different ways.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Sep 18, 2023, 08:01 am
With the exception of the tournament victory in Los Cabos, it wasn't a good summer for Stefanos Tsitsipas from a sporting perspective. The events in Toronto, Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows turned out to be moderate to major disasters compared to the Greek's high standards. There should at least be success in the national jersey. What a great one for us: On Saturday and Sunday nothing less than Greece's first-ever promotion to the top floor of the Davis Cup was in prospect. Stefanos Tsitsipas had to bear the entire burden. And failed despite great effort.
What can only be said to a limited extent about Holger Rune. But more on that in a moment.
The Greeks had installed a stylish hard court in the historic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. And hoped that Stefanos Tsitsipas would rock history alone, with a little help from his brother Petros in doubles. This plan was already in jeopardy on Saturday, and Lukas Klein gave Tsitsipas, the older man, a big fight until the Slovakian had to give up in the third set. But at least that meant: everything was according to plan on the first day, the Greek audience liked it. And that under difficult conditions: the heat had Athens firmly under control on the two days of the competition.
Rune only plays on Fridays
After that it only went downhill: Tsitsipas/Tsitsipas initially lost to Lukas Klein and Igor Zelenay 3:6, 7:6 (5) and 3:6. And then Stefanos also lost to Alex Molcan 6:7 (4), 6:4 and 3:6. A lot of effort for ultimately almost nothing.
Holger Rune had the same goal with the Danes as Tsitsipas had with the Greeks. And failed even more badly: Rune had to admit defeat to the Brazilian veteran Thiago Monteiro 7:6 (5), 6:7 (4) and 2:6 on the first day (the game was already played in Hillerod on Friday). And he didn't even show up for the doubles or the second single: his back was bothering me again.
So for Stefanos Tsitsipas as well as for Holger Rune it means: wipe your mouth and start the next attempt in 2024. And hope that support for national aspirations will come out of nowhere.