Düsseldorf.
The Rochusclub Düsseldorf is looking forward to an uncertain season in the tennis Bundesliga in July and August not only because of Corona.
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Detlev Irmler recently celebrated a milestone birthday. The former Davis Cup team boss of the German tennis team does not like to talk about his new number of years of life, “which I just can’t believe”, as the long-time team boss of the Bundesliga club Rochusclub Düsseldorf put it. After all, Irmler’s agility hardly matches the 80 that is now on paper. Especially since the tennis expert continues to work for the Rochusclub. However, under very difficult conditions.
The game plan for the new Bundesliga season 2021 is already available from the German Tennis Association. But against the background of the ongoing corona pandemic and lockdown, Detlev Irmler is skeptical whether his Grafenberg team will actually be able to compete against the title favorite TK Kurhaus Aachen on July 4th (11 a.m., Rolander Weg). “Basically, the question arises as to which players the teams can and are allowed to muster if the professionals have recently been to tournaments abroad,” says Detlev Irmler, highlighting one of the many unsettled construction sites.
Rochusclub neighbor Blau-Weiß Neuss is back
An accumulation of top 100 players from the ATP world rankings in the Bundesliga, which has become familiar from previous years, is unlikely to occur this summer after the canceled 2020 season. Corona thus of course makes general personnel planning more difficult. The ten starters have until March 15th to report their teams to the responsible DTB. For the 2019 relegated TC Weinheim 1902 and TK Blau-Weiß Aachen, the long-time Rochusclub neighbor Blau-Weiß Neuss and TSV 1860 Rosenheim from Upper Bavaria are now involved in the tennis upper house after being promoted again.
Against the background of the Corona problem, the Düsseldorf team is initially betting on five to six young German players. The list is headed by the 20-year-old Henri Squire, who made his Bundesliga debut for the Rochusclub in 2019 and immediately became Bundesliga runner-up. Team boss Irmler knows, of course, that his team will probably not be competitive only with German talents, should the opponents bring up one or the other ace.
There are already well-known players in the reserve: the Iberian Jaume Munar (23), for example, who was number one on the Düsseldorf seed list two years ago. In addition, the Spanish veteran Pablo Andujar (35), the Slovak Filip Horansky (28) and also the Georgian Teimuras Gabashvili (35). “It is of course extremely difficult at the moment to guarantee the players three or four game dates and a fee. However, the obligations will mainly depend on the travel option due to Corona and also on the seasonal budget, ”emphasizes Irmler.
Ex-professional Phau is Rochusclub head coach
The latter is currently an urgent problem. The previous main sponsor Allpresan, who had been involved since the 2016 season, is apparently withdrawing from the tennis Bundesliga, so that the Rochusclub has so far had to plan without major sponsors. That of course affects the crew around team boss Irmler, who has been chief organizer Dietrich Peek and coach Fabio Gonzales for years. Also there is the former ATP player Björn Phau (41), who has been the new head coach since last March, who was in the Bundesliga for Grün-Weiß Mannheim and Etuf Essen and in his career at least proud victories over Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Tommy Haas could book.
What also occupies all ten Bundesliga teams: Will spectators be allowed on the facilities or not? “There will be no games without visitors”, predicts team boss Irmler in view of the lack of income at the cash desk and at the normally set up food and drink stands, “if we are allowed to allow 300, it will help some clubs a little. In our large facility, however, so few people get lost. “
Rochusclub has the third most viewers in Düsseldorf
Just as a reminder: Before Corona, the Grafenberger home games were mostly around 3000 spectators. This makes the Rochusclub, behind the footballers from Fortuna and the ice hockey cracks from Düsseldorfer EG, the team in Düsseldorf with the third most spectators per game. In addition, from 1978 to 2012 the Rochus Club hosted the World Team Cup in tennis, the ATP team world championship.
There is currently no deadline by when a possible renewed seasonal cancellation would have to be declared. “We’ll probably be able to wait until May. For me, however, the basic skepticism prevails, ”admits Detlev Irmler.
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