With Dominic Thiem: Melzer nominates provisional ÖTV team squad for Davis Cup in Croatia
The extended squad has now been reduced from six to five players in a timely manner.
by p.m
last edit: Jan 06, 2023, 12:18 pm
There are still four weeks before Austria's men's national team will challenge the clear favorites Croatia on February 4th and 5th, 2023 in the qualification for the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals 2023. Today, Friday, January 6, 2023, both nations had to officially announce their provisional squad for the eagerly awaited international match in the Zamet sports center in Rijeka.
With Thiem, Rodionov, Novak, Erler and Miedler
ÖTV Davis Cup captain and at the same time sports director Jürgen Melzer has reduced his extended squad announced on December 21, 2022 from six to five men. Austria's long-standing figurehead Dominic Thiem (ATP single 102), Jurij Rodionov (ATP 122) and Dennis Novak (ATP 180) or Austria's new top double Alexander Erler (ATP double 51) and Lucas Miedler (ATP double 56) form the preliminary squad. The Kitzbühel sensational finalist Filip Misolic (ATP individual 149) was taken out of the squad first. "That has been agreed with all players," explained Melzer. "After the Australian Open, I will decide who will be there against Croatia." The first Grand Slam tournament of the 2023 season in Melbourne starts on January 16 with the main competition. The final squad has to be nominated on January 25th.
Cilic sustains a knee injury
Hosts Croatia, currently number one in the Davis Cup rankings, officially announced their provisional squad on Friday morning. This consists of: Marin Cilic (ATP singles 17), as well as Thiem ex-US Open winner, Borna Coric (ATP 26), Borna Gojo (ATP 144), Mate Pavic (ATP doubles 5) and Nikola Mektic ( ATP double 8) - and thus from the strongest possible team. But there may be a small question mark behind Cilic's actual availability at the moment: The 34-year-old veteran sustained a knee injury during training at this week's ATP 250 tournament in Pune and was therefore unable to compete in his quarter-final match on Thursday.