“Want to help him as a team”
Freaking out ensures Zverev’s Davis Cup comeback
02/27/2022, 4:26 p.m
Alexander Zverev actually has no time to play in the Davis Cup. But because his bad freak caused a surprisingly early end at the tournament in Acapulco, a surprising time window opened up. And so Zverev makes his comeback in the Davis Cup team.
The German tennis team received surprising support from Alexander Zverev in the qualifying match in Brazil. The Olympic champion is making his comeback in the Davis Cup a few days after his disqualification at the ATP tournament in Acapulco. Zverev was selected for the game on June 4th/5th. March in Rio de Janeiro, as announced by the German Tennis Association. But Daniel Altmaier is no longer part of the team of national coach Michael Kohlmann.
Zverev played for the German Davis Cup team for the last time at the beginning of February 2019: In the 5-0 win against Hungary in Frankfurt, Zverev clearly won his two individual games. However, Zverev gave up the final tournament at the end of the year, citing the strain over a long season and in protest against the new format. Since 2019, the Davis Cup has been held with a qualifying round at the beginning of the year and a final tournament compressed into one week.
“Want to help him as a team”
“We are happy that Alexander is there. His behavior in Acapulco was without question unacceptable and wrong. Alexander recognized that himself and apologized for it,” said Kohlmann. “We would now like to help him as a team to get through the difficult phase,” said Kohlmann, who has recovered from his coronavirus infection and can now take care of the team in Rio de Janeiro.
Zverev was disqualified in Acapulco on Tuesday (local time) after a double because he hit the referee’s chair several times with a tennis racket and almost hit the referee. The 24-year-old then apologized via Instagram for his freak out and described his behavior as “unacceptable”. The men’s organization ATP sentenced Zverev to a fine of $ 40,000. In addition, he has to pay back the prize money of more than 30,000 dollars and loses the points for the world rankings. An investigation into the incident is also ongoing.
Zverev had actually canceled his participation in the Davis Cup game because the encounter in the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro between the two ATP tournaments in Acapulco and Indian Wells (from March 7th) did not fit into his tournament schedule. “However, I already agreed with Alexander in Melbourne at the Australian Open that we would talk again if he failed early in Acapulco,” said Kohlmann. This situation has now occurred after the disqualification in Mexico.
“The format needs to be changed”
Zverev now forms the German team together with Jan-Lennard Struff, Oscar Otte and the two double specialists Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz. The third in the world rankings had never left any doubt about his passion for the Davis Cup: “The format has to be changed and I’m sticking to it. I’m someone who keeps his word. I want to win the Davis Cup, but I want the real one Win the Davis Cup,” he said last year when, like in 2019, he did not participate in the final tournament.
“Hopefully we can get Zverev to play in the next few years and we have a real chance of winning the final and the Davis Cup,” said Dominik Koepfer after the semi-final against Russia. The colleagues understand the attitude of the top German player: “He communicated that early enough and then that’s okay,” said Jan-Lennard Struff: “If you have a player like Alexander Zverev, who is in the top 5, we don’t have to talk about the quality he has and that he would always help the team, absolutely. It’s not a criticism at all that he’s not there.” So now he’s back, Alexander Zverev. At least in the first round.