The German Davis Cup squad envisions Malaga in a Chinese setting
The German Davis Cup squad commences their group stage in China on a victorious note. Maximilian Marterer and Yannick Hanfmann shine brightly. The presence of Zverev, Struff, and Koepfer is sorely missed, resulting in an entire squad absent. However, other teams also journey without their star players.
Relieved, Hanfmann raised his arms following his close encounter, as team captain Michael Kohlmann exhaled deeply and hugged his protege: With two commendable performances, the German tennis veterans have launched their Davis Cup group stage with success. In their initial clash against Slovakia, Marterer and Hanfmann laid the groundwork for their ultimate ambition in Malaga, where the concluding round will take place in November.
"I was a tad jittery. Representing your country in the Davis Cup always carries a special charm," admitted Hannover-born Hanfmann, having sealed his initial win with a nerve-wracking 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) triumph over Jozef Kovalik: "It's rather moist today. I'm relieved it's over."
Previously, Marterer clinched his singles duel against Lukas Klein 6-4, 7-5. US Open doubles finalists Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, who only touched down in China on Monday evening after an exhausting journey, aim to secure a 3-0 win in the crucial doubles match, keeping the point tally in mind as well. "It's a sigh of relief. We've proven our arrival," Marterer expressed after his win.
A taxing pilgrimage to China
Hence, Germany's depleted DTB squad has made commendable strides towards completing the "grueling voyage" (Kohlmann) to Zhuhai, China, even in Alexander Zverev's absence. Their opponents in Hengqin International Tennis Center include powerhouse Chile and the USA. The top two groups progress to the quarterfinals.
The choice of China as the host nation for group stage proceedings had earlier sparked criticism, not only from the DTB. The non-Asian contenders playing in the million-populated Zhuhai, a city nearby Macau, also attracted controversy. Kohlmann spoke of an "immense effort" and described the hardships as "far from ideal." This particularly discouraged the stars earlier on. As a result, Germany will proceed without Tokyo Olympics champion Zverev just a few days following the US Open, while the USA will compete without New York finalist Taylor Fritz and semifinalist Frances Tiafoe. Kohlmann also misses the injured Jan-Lennard Struff and Dominik Koepfer.
However, the vacuum created by the absence of superstars allows emerging talents to seize the limelight, just as Maximilian Marterer did in their opening encounter against Slovakia on Tuesday. Around 2,000 spectators filled the 5,000-seater hall in Hengqin International Tennis Center, where they witnessed a focused display from the Nuremberg hopeful against Klein. Hanfmann subsequently rose to the occasion after a subpar first set. He rescued a match point in the third set. The decider became a tense affair, with the Karlsruhe ace performing flawlessly – ultimately, he clinched victory after 2 hours and 15 minutes, having seized his second chance.
After their successful start, Marterer and Hanfmann aim to continue their strong performance in tennis, hoping to bring Germany success in their upcoming matches. Despite the absence of top players like Zverev and Struff, the void has given opportunities for new talents to shine, showing their potential on the international stage.
