Heinz Günthardt - "No Laver Cup plays when the French Open is on"
In an interview with the Swiss daily gazette , Heinz Günthardt , Swiss Fed Cup captain, assumes that the organizers of the Laver Cup - and thus also Roger Federer - will give in to the date dispute.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Mar 22, 2020, 10:52 am
The leaders of the French Open around their president Bernard Giudicelli did not gain much understanding with the move to September 2020. On the contrary: the French and the ATP and WTA players' associations got headwind, including USTA, organizer of the US Open, but also participated in the Laver Cup, expressing their displeasure at going it alone.
Heinz Günthardt, long-time coach of Steffi Graf, TV expert and for a long time also Fed Cup captain in Switzerland, sees the matter far more pragmatically, as he explained in an interview with the Swiss daily newspaper: “Stop playing with this: Oh God, it's incredible what they did! Among other things, the players earn so much money thanks to Paris. It is a cornerstone of tennis. ”
Günthardt - "The Laver Cup has to give way"
Heinz Günthardt also cannot believe that there was no warning at all. "You will never bring everyone together at one table, unfortunately, and reach agreement. And there are not many alternatives either. If you are Paris, you will say to Mr. Godsick: Look, we are moving there. And Mr. Godsick will say: This is not possible, this is our week. And then as Paris you say: Thank you for speaking to each other. ”
Günthardt estimates that Tony Godsick, manager of Roger Federer and man behind the scenes of the Laver Cup, which is scheduled to take place from September 25 to 27, 2020, precisely during the newly scheduled French Open. “It would be absurd if the Laver Cup persisted in its date. No Laver Cup is playing when the French Open is on. How would you stand if you said: I would rather play the Laver Cup than a Grand Slam tournament! People who are indignant about this French Open date change, like Canadian Vasek Pospisil, should better keep this to themselves. ”
the entire interview with Heinz Günthardt can be found here.