2023-09-11 12:24:17
Back in the Davis Cup elite, the Swiss team enters the group stage of the finals as underdogs. Her task promises to be delicate in Pool B in Manchester: she will successively face France (Tuesday), Great Britain (Friday) and Australia (Saturday), each time from 2 p.m. (live on RTS 2).
Captain Severin Lüthi’s team had fought hard to win their ticket to this phase which includes the 16 best nations, winning 3-2 in Trier once morest Alexander Zverev’s Germany. Marc-Andrea Hüsler won his 2 singles, Stan Wawrinka winning the decisive match once morest Daniel Altmaier.
Two fit men
Switzerland will field an identical quintet, Dominic Stricker, Leandro Riedi and Alexander Ritschard having been selected alongside the Zurichois and the Vaudois. But the dynamic is no longer the same: Marc-Andrea Hüsler has fallen to 101st place ATP and is no longer the Swiss No. 1. Stan Wawrinka (38 years old) has indeed taken up the torch, gaining momentum to make his return to the top-40.
And Dominic Stricker is now one of the 100 best in the world (90th). The Bernese left-hander is coming out of a round of 16 at the US Open and should be started in singles alongside the Vaudois. They might pair up in doubles, like in Gstaad where they won the title this summer.
The situation is simple: to be one of the 8 participants in the final phase of Malaga (November 21-26), you must finish among the first 2 of your group. Switzerland is already playing big on Tuesday once morest France of Adrian Mannarino (ATP 34) and Ugo Humbert (ATP 36). A failure once morest the Blues, who field a formidable double (Mahut/Roger-Vasselin), would probably be crippling.
ats/bur
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