Davis Cup: Netherlands instead of Nadal: Tennis team aims for the final

At the very back in the corner of the Palacio de Sports José María Martín Carpena is the object of desire. The Davis Cup, 1.10 meters high and weighing a total of 105 kilograms, sits majestically in the spotlight while it is fought over on Center Court. “We can already see the cup, it would be nice if we could play for it again,” said German team boss Michael Kohlmann.

With the 2-0 win against Canada, the German Tennis Federation is now just one win away from fighting for the “ugliest salad bowl in the world” for the first time in 31 years. In the semi-finals this Friday (5 p.m.) the German team will face Holland, who surprisingly beat Spain in the quarter-finals and thus ended Rafael Nadal’s great career.

“Of course it would have been something special to play against Nadal again here in Spain,” said Jan-Lennard Struff. At the last game of the 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner, the entire German team was in the hall “to soak up a bit of this special atmosphere,” as Struff described it.

But Nadal lost to Botic van den Zandschulp and is now back in Mallorca. Netherlands instead of Nadal is the name of the game for the German team instead. That doesn’t make the task any easier for the German selection, who traveled to Andalusia without top player Alexander Zverev.

“Like against Canada, it will be a duel at eye level. The Dutch have a very good team and, like us, a strong double,” warned Kohlmann. Unlike in football, the rivalry between the two neighboring countries in tennis is not as great. “We know each other from the tour, we get along well,” said Kohlmann, like his counterpart Paul Haarhuis, a former professional.

But of course they know in the German camp that it is a great chance to reach the final of the Davis Cup for the first time since 1993. At that time, Michael Stich led the German team against Australia in Düsseldorf to the last of the three titles so far.

The other half of the tournament with Italy around the world number one Jannik Sinner and the USA with the ATP Finals finalist Taylor Fritz seems a little stronger. “We have a balanced team and have a good doubles team. We don’t need to hide from anyone,” said Struff.

Balance as a trump card

Kohlmann also emphasized the balance of his team. In everyday tour life, interest always focuses on Zverev, who is already on vacation in the Maldives, and his hunt for his first Grand Slam title. Also because the other German professionals rarely deliver outstanding results.

In the Davis Cup, the second guard often outgrows themselves, no matter who is playing. In the first round in Hungary in February, it was Dominik Koepfer who took an important win. At the intermediate round in China in September, it was Maximilian Marterer and Yannick Hanfmann who, in the absence of Zverev and Struff, led the team to the final round in Malaga together with the points guarantees Krawietz and Pütz.

“This Davis Cup season is a prime example of how you need a lot of players over the course of a year and have to be broadly positioned,” said Kohlmann. Maybe this width is even enough to finally see the impressive Davis Cup up close again.