Jule Niemeier also had no chance
Disaster start robs German tennis of all illusions
01/16/2023 3:29 p.m
A total of six German tennis professionals will be on the court on the first day of the Australian Open. They’re frustrating games. All are lost. In the aftermath, the beaten professionals are not at a loss for rough words. The disaster start is perfect.
Jule Niemeier had pulled her cap down over her face and was scowling late at night in Melbourne. “Right now I can’t take any positive things with me,” said the German number one, very frustrated after her hopes of a revenge against tour dominator Iga Swiatek had burst. With the 4: 6, 5: 7 defeat, the 23-year-old from Dortmund involuntarily contributed to a catastrophic German start at the Australian Open despite a decent performance.
Six professionals from the Federal Republic played Down Under on the first day of the tournament – not one victory was the result. “It’s annoying, 0: 6 – of course it sucks,” said Yannick Hanfmann. Oscar Otte in particular was completely disillusioned. “I felt like I was a garbage can on the pitch and didn’t manage to play a reasonable return at all,” said the man from Cologne.
Niemeier was also extremely annoyed, although the Wimbledon quarter-finalist again hinted at her potential. “Jule had her chances,” said national coach Barbara Rittner on the Eurosport microphone after the 1:59 hour game: “All in all, a good match from Jule. When it came down to it, a tick was missing.” She didn’t start “to deliver a nice match,” said Niemeier. Now it’s about “taking the next step,” she explained to Eurosport: “I want to get into the seeding list for the Grand Slams so I don’t have such a shitty first round again.” In the next step but one, she wanted to “play for the title,” added Niemeier. Hanfmann, Daniel Altmaier, Eva Lys and Tamara Korpatsch also said goodbye.
“I’m human, not a robot”
On Tuesday, among other things, comebacker Alexander Zverev’s match against Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas is on the agenda – with basketball icon Dirk Nowitzki, who has also stopped by Niemeier, as a prominent lucky charm. “I think he’ll be there for my match,” said the Olympic champion, whose game was brought forward to 4:30 a.m. Central European Time. Otte could then have had a bad night after his 2: 6, 4: 6, 7: 6 (7: 2), 5: 7 defeat against the only 17-year-old Chinese Shang Juncheng.
Daniel Altmaier fought back for a long time, but finally had to congratulate the US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe after a 3: 6, 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 5), 6: 7 (6: 8) defeat. Hanfmann led clearly, but he let local hero Rinky Hijikata come back at 6: 4, 6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 7 (5: 7), 3: 6 in 4:25 hours. Lys lost to the Spaniard Cristina Bucsa 6: 2, 0: 6, 2: 6, Korpatsch had to admit defeat to the British Emma Raducanu, US Open winner of 2021, 3: 6, 2: 6.
“Today it didn’t fail for me because of tennis, but because of the circumstances. I’m only human and not a robot,” said Lys, who had fought through the qualification: “I was very excited. The first time at a Major was an incredible experience for me.” She wants to learn from the “very, very important experience”. Niemeier, on the other hand, was mostly at eye level in the rallies with Swiatek and was a break ahead in the second set, but could not assert himself. The conviction in the decisive moments that is needed for an upset against a number one in the world was still missing.