Philipp Kohlschreiber: "You could send us to the dark side of the moon"
In contrast to the newcomers Dominik Koepfer, Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies, Philipp Kohlschreiber is considered a veteran of the Davis Cup. Since his debut in 2007, the 36-year-old Augsburg has played 21 matches for Germany. With his victory over Chilean Nicolas Jarry in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals, Kohlschreiber scored his 21st victory in the Nations Cup competition. It is understandable that the opinion of the veteran on the new format in Madrid was also in demand among international media representatives.
by Florian Heer from Madrid
last edit: Nov 23, 2019, 03:04 pm
"I have already played several Davis Cup matches. This is a completely different event, "said Kohlschreiber in English during the final press conference of the German team after the 2-0 defeat in the quarter-final against Great Britain.
"We had only a few German fans here over the days, which of course makes me very happy. However, it has felt at no time after a home game. This advantage has been completely lost. It was a different atmosphere and also felt different in the course. "
Germany carried out all three matches in the rather sparsely occupied second stadium of the Caja Magica. The opponents from Argentina, Chile and Great Britain were always in the majority in terms of supporters. Away feeling pure for the team around team captain Michael Kohlmann. For Kohlschreiber, however, no reason to despair.
In search of the special Davis Cup feeling
"We still play for Germany. This is something special. You could send us to the dark side of the moon and we will still represent our country. Cosmos has done some things, such as housing and organization, really well. However, I missed the very special feeling. "
Kohlschreiber's team colleague Jan-Lennard Struff was also able to gain something positive from the event. "We were treated very well here," revealed Germany's number 1 in Madrid. "There were good as well as negative things, including the late fixtures. However, I wanted to come here first in order to form my own opinion. "
A statement whether the Davis Cup should return to the old format, there was not by Kohlschreiber. "The people at the top of tennis had been thinking about making a difference, because apparently something went wrong. I am just a player and have no knowledge of sponsorship or media interest. There is a lot of politics behind it and they have decided on a completely new style of the Davis Cup. However, I like the tradition, "says Kohlschreiber.