Schüttler and Co. want to go to Budapest
Everything new at the Fed Cup: For the first time with Captain Rainer Schüttler , the German women are entering the reformed competition. Even without Angie Kerber and Co., the final tournament in Brazil should succeed.
by SID
last edit: Feb 07, 2020, 12:56 pm
Rainer Schüttler and his tennis ladies had dressed up. In a chic evening wear and relaxed atmosphere, the new Fed Cup captain and his team got in the mood for the first round game against Brazil at the "Official Dinner" in Florianopolis. The goal is clear: a ticket to the final tournament in Budapest.
Not only the snapshots of the evening prove that the harmony between Schüttler and his players fits. "It's also funny, we have a lot of fun at dinner," the 43-year-old told SID before the start of the competition on Friday (4pm / Sportdeutschland.tv).
Schüttler, once a long-time Davis Cup player, is excited about the task of tearing something in the team. "There is a completely different group dynamic than when you travel alone," said the 2003 Australian Open finalist. The fact that Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges and Andrea Petkovic lacked the most well-known names in his first role in a new role is a brake on him Not optimism. Even so, the captain sees the selection of the German Tennis Federation (DTB) as a favorite "from a paper perspective".
Siegemund starts on Friday
Laura Siegemund, Tatjana Maria, Anna-Lena Friedsam and Antonia Lottner have to translate this into results against the outsiders, who have their strongest player in Gabriela Ce (WTA 225). On Friday Laura Siegemund will start in the first single against Teliana Pereira, then Tatjana Maria will play against Gabriela Ce. The DTB plans to participate in the newly created final event in Hungary from April 14th to 19th.
Schüttler, whose commitment the association had announced in November, can then, in addition to Görges, also count on the currently struggling former world rankings first Kerber, which he coached from November 2018 to July 2019. The second round from the German top player in Wimbledon ensured a quick end to the collaboration .
"The time with Angie was a very important experience for me," said Schüttler at spox.com . Among other things, he had learned how big the difference between working on the women and men tour is. Among other things, he had the feeling "that women have to be more careful with their choice of words because they are more emotional than we are men". Barbara Rittner, Head of Women's Tennis at DTB and on site in Brazil, sees Schüttler as a good choice to lead German women to success.
Guga Kuerten clay court
The relationship with the currently stricken Kerber is intact, also with Görges, with whom there were minor inconsistencies in the nomination for the current opening duel. But Schüttler has long pushed that aside. "It is more important that Jule, Angie and also Andrea Petkovic have signaled that they would like to be at the final tournament in Hungary, which of course makes me happy," he said.
First of all, the full focus of the mandatory task in the rain zone of Florianopolis applies. Since the arrival of the DTB team, it has been raining again and again, instead of hitting balls on the outside squares, Schüttler and his team sometimes went into a hall. However, the conditions are fully in order. "This is a clay court from Gustavo Kuerten," said Schüttler: "He offered us to train there."