"Underdogs with heart": Will Germany succeed in the Davis Cup surprise against Canada?
With great team spirit to the surprise: The German Davis Cup team is facing the Herculean task of Canada in the quarter-finals.
by SID/red.
last edit: Nov 23, 2022, 01:56 pm
Michael Kohlmann lives the belief in a real surprise. "None of us wants to fly home again on Thursday," said the national tennis coach, who decided to plunge into a real Herculean task with his Davis Cup team in Malaga: Self-confident and fearless, Oscar Otte, Jan -Lennard Struff and Co. against title candidate Canada.
"The approach is that we don't want to lose a game," added Kohlmann, who again had to do without top player Alexander Zverev, who was not yet fit. This was achieved in the group phase in Hamburg and "we want to do that in Spain too". The 48-year-old dreams not too quietly of "winning the ugliest salad bowl in the world" at some point. In the final round this year, however, it will be quite difficult.
Krawietz/Pütz hot for a common future
Which is already due to the first opponent in the quarter-finals on Thursday (4 p.m. live in DE on ServusTV or in the stream on ServusTV On). In Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadians offer sixth place in the world rankings - the 22-year-old is the highest-ranked professional who is at the start in the decisive week of the traditional team competition. In addition, Denis Shapovalov is number 18 in the ATP ranking. Oscar Otte (ATP-65.) and Jan-Lennard Struff (ATP-152.) are outsiders in their individual lives - "underdogs with heart", as the DTB put it. The mood surrounding the training sessions is noticeably positive.
Should a surprise succeed in one of the two games, the chances are good. German professionals have been unbeaten in Davis Cup doubles for 15 duels. And the duo Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz is eager for another taste of their skills after the announcement of their future together on the tour. "I'm hot for the Davis Cup. It's a highlight for me that we've all been looking forward to for weeks," said Pütz from Frankfurt: "And of course we want to end the season as successfully as possible."
A German team landed the last big Davis Cup triumph in 1993 with a selection around Michael Stich and a final victory in Düsseldorf against Australia. Last year, for the first time in 14 years, they made it into the semifinals by beating Great Britain. A goal that Kohlmann's team is aiming for again this year against all odds.