What will the tennis year 2021 bring? It starts on February 1st in Melbourne with the team tournament ATP-Cup, followed by the Australian Open (8th to 21st February). In the BILD interview, Michael Kohlmann (47), Davis Cup captain and, as Boris Becker’s successor, the new Head of Men’s Tennis at the DTB, speaks about his expectations – and a great comeback hope …
BILD: Germany’s number 1, Alexander ‘Sascha’ Zverev, has separated from the Roger Federer management. His brother Mischa is now managing it, saying he wanted to make it more German, i.e. more approachable for German fans and sponsors. Sascha clearly acknowledged Germany in BILD am SONNTAG. How big is the chance of his comeback in the Davis Cup team?
Michael Kohlmann: “Sure, you like to read that and immediately start thinking about the Davis Cup.”
BILD: But?
Kohlmann: “You have to differentiate that a bit. The goal of both of them will be to play a lot in Germany. In the Davis Cup, he never spoke out against our national team, but against the new format of the competition. He played the qualification with us in Frankfurt in 2019 and then didn’t play the finals in Madrid. I also don’t think that Federer’s management advised him against the national team. It was his personal attitude towards the new final tournament format in the Davis Cup. “
BILD: Back then, he called the new format “money making”. But when you reached the quarter-finals with your team in Madrid in 2019, he played lucrative show matches with Roger Federer in South America.
Kohlmann: “That’s right. That was his decision, which we accepted. “
Photo: dpa-“data-zoom-src =” https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/alexander-zverevs-eltern-stammen-aus-russland-er-selbst-wurde-in-hamburg-geboren-wuchs-in-der- hanses-22f277a12f624148a2df5c91b86b8b7a-75049712 / image / 2.image.jpg “/>
Alexander Zverev’s parents come from Russia. He himself was born in Hamburg, grew up in the Hanseatic city and learned to play tennis there. Seventh in the ATP world rankings, he is currently the best German tennis professional. He reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open 2020 and the final at the US Open 2020. When can he celebrate his first Grand Slam triumph?Photo: dpa
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BILD: Is the door still open?
Kohlmann: “Of course. Now it is the case that the final date remains at the end of the year, but the format changes a little. The ITF has just announced that it is looking for two new cities to host two preliminary round groups. I believe that people in Germany are considering applying for it. And that could also be another argument for Sascha. “
BILD: Is there already an appointment with the Zverevs?
Kohlmann: “We last saw each other in autumn, after Sascha had won both tournaments in Cologne. We talked about the ATP Cup and agreed that we would repeat such meetings regularly. And next time, the Davis Cup theme is sure to come on the table. I think that will be towards the BMW Open in Munich at the end of April, when the tennis circus moves towards Europe. “
BILD: Does Sascha Zverev play the ATP Cup for Germany?
Kohlmann: “Yes, he plays that. And Mischa accompanies the team as captain. I’m staying in Germany and following the tournament on TV and on the Internet. As an association, we have decided that no national coach will travel to Australia in the current Corona situation. That also has to do with the hygiene precautions on site, there are only four instead of five players per team. For us, in addition to Sascha, there are also Jan-Lennard Struff and the doubles Kevin Krawietz and Andy Mies. A very good team, also compared to the other nations. And that would also be four who play a big role in my mind towards the Davis Cup final. “
BILD: Who else?
Kohlmann: “Dominik Koepfer, who was already there. Yannick Hanfmann had a very good year. Daniel Altmaier, who made a name for himself in Paris. You have to see how he develops with him. Unfortunately, he missed the Australian Open because of a positive corona test. What a shame for him. “
BILD: What do you expect from the tennis year 2021?
Kohlmann: “I am happy that the season is starting, that there is a tournament landscape and that the professionals can play. And then you have to wait and see how the situation develops towards summer. Whether the organizers keep going, even without spectators. Especially economically, this is a huge feat. I hope that the tournaments will all survive, that we will have a great tennis summer in Germany with Munich, Stuttgart, Halle, Hamburg, with the women’s tournaments in Stuttgart, Cologne, Berlin and Bad Homburg. “
BILD: In your opinion, what would be a good result at the Australian Open?
Kohlmann: “None of the German players is in the tough quarantine, except for Cedric-Marcel Stebe, who flew there as Lucky Looser. That means: Almost all German men can train, which is a huge advantage over those who do not even come out of their hotel room for 14 days. After Sascha was in the final at the US Open and last year in Australia also in the semifinals, a semifinal would be nice again. And also when Struffi or someone else comes into the second week or into the third round. This also applies to our Krawietz / Mies doubles – they also play very well on hard courts and have something to make up for after the first round in 2020. Especially in the Olympic year it would be great for us as the DTB if our boys convince at the big events. “
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