Davis-Cup
Germany and the USA were the last teams to win the qualifying round in the Davis Cup and are thus also in the group stage in September. Olympic champion Alexander Zverev led the Germans there but was mad at the crowd. After beating Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 6-1 7-5 in the top singles on Saturday evening, the 24-year-old rushed off Center Court in Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Park.
“We were booed here the whole time, at some point it was enough,” Zverev justified his lack of celebration on the pitch. Germany’s number one made it particularly angry that he repeatedly felt insulted by part of the audience. “The spectators have crossed a line,” said Zverev. “You can hate me, dislike me. But if it goes against your family or against someone you love, then a line is crossed,” said Zverev. “And that was exceeded in almost every single game here today.”
How unfair the audience in Brazil can be is also in the Austrian Davis Cup history book: In 1996, the “fans” with spitting, thrown objects and mirror glare Thomas Muster in doubles at the side of Udo Plamberger so irritated that he in the fifth set had left the place. After the singles it was 1:1, the international match was later rated 4:1 for Brazil.
In the present, Zverev was also irritated a week and a half after freaking out at the ATP tournament in Acapulco. “This is Acapulco,” some fans shouted in reference to his disqualification last week from the middle of the second set. In Acapulco, after losing a double, Zverev hit the referee’s chair several times with a tennis racket and almost hit the referee in the foot. Zverev was subsequently banned from the tournament and fined. In addition, the men’s organization ATP is still investigating against him.
Short-term Davis Cup comeback by Zverev
After the events in Acapulco, Zverev decided at very short notice to make his comeback in the Davis Cup. Probably also to polish up his battered image again. And in terms of sport, the world number three succeeded across the board. After his clear two-set win against Thiago Seyboth Wild on Friday, he didn’t give Monteiro a chance from the start.
For the group stage, which will take place at four locations to be determined, Germany is now considering an application to host a group. From the quarter-finals, the game will then be played at a location that is also still open from November 23rd to 27th.
USA manages clear victory
In Reno, Nevada, hosts USA in the form of Jack Sock and Rajeev Ram secured a decisive 3-0 lead against Colombia’s doubles Juan-Sebastian Cabal and Nicolas Barrientos 6-3 6-4 in the first game. Cabal’s standard partner Robert Farah had to withdraw at short notice because of a neck injury. Captain Mardy Fish’s squad is thus also in the third edition of the final tournament in the group phase and thus also avenged the group phase defeat in 2021.
