“This is a team with which we will beat Pakistan,” said the Davis Cup captain and ÖTV sports director, confident of victory. Success would mean that Austria might once more play for a place in the final tournament in spring 2023.
At the venue, the TC Tulln, everything is ready for the international match, because an ATP Challenger with all Davis Cup aces is being held for the second time these days. The grandstand offers space for up to 1,500 fans, there are still enough tickets.
Cancellations from Novak and Ofner as well
With three players from the top 200 in the ATP world rankings, i.e. Rodionov (139), Misolic (141), who was nominated for the first time, and Gerald Melzer (192), Jürgen Melzer clearly favors his team – and that without Thiem (211), Dennis Novak (136) and Sebastian Ofner (218).
“Dominic asked me to sit out this international match because he doesn’t want to switch back to clay following the US Open. Dennis and Ofi have similar reasons, they want to play a tournament a week because they won’t play as much followingwards for various reasons: Dennis will be a dad for the second time, Ofi has to undergo a small operation on his foot, “reasoned Melzer his nomination.
However, Novak and Ofner have signaled that they will be available in an emergency if someone gets injured or falls ill with Covid-19.
Qureshi’s only known opponent
However, the starting position for the ÖTV team is clearer than perhaps never before: Only one player from Pakistan named Huzaifa Abdul Rehman appears in the singles ranking at 1,666, in doubles they have with the already 42-year-old Aisam-Ul- After all, Haq Qureshi is number 52 in the ranking.
Apart from Qureshi, it’s once morest absolute no-names: Anything but a clear victory would be a negative sensation. “It’s difficult, in the end you have to catch up on these compulsory wins,” said Jürgen Melzer. “But I believe that all of our players who are nominated have the necessary level to win.” Something can always happen in the Davis Cup. “But I hope that the gap is already so big that nothing happens to us.”
Individual line-up only following the draw
Melzer will not announce who his two individual players will be until the draw on September 15th. He has no conflict of conscience because he also has to decide whether his brother will nominate himself. “I’m professional enough to set up the two best, who presented themselves best.” Even in the 1: 3 in South Korea at the beginning of March, he didn’t nominate his brother.
The ÖTV double is considered a fixed starter: following the cancellation of US Open round of 16 Philipp Oswald, who is happy regarding a break following intensive weeks, Miedler and Erler are set. The ex-Kitzbühel winners recently won the ATP Challenger in Como.
For the first time in Davis Cup history, the ÖTV team can start under match conditions in the week before the international match. The only difference to this week’s Challenger will be the balls, you then switch from Head to Babolat. Both the Challenger and the Final Four, also held in Tulln, and of course the training immediately before the Davis Cup international match will influence Melzer’s decision.
