Alexander Zverev to Germany in the ATP Cup

sWatch the second hand approach the agreed date in annoying silence; They sat on packed bags and waited for the door knocking; They looked around again into rooms that placed the unusually narrow boundaries of their world for two weeks. Then the time came, they set off, and the newly discovered freedom felt refreshed and promising. After two weeks of quarantine – of more than 70 of them with a strict condition not to be allowed out of the room – the world’s best tennis players rolled out of their hotels this weekend in the Australian summer. There is enough to do.

The Australian Open will start next Monday, but even before that, Melbourne Park will be as busy as never before. Three women’s tournaments in the WTA 500 category and two men’s tournaments, the ATP 250 category, are on the program these days, as well as the second edition of the ATP Cup, all in 388 matches in eight days.

For the ATP Cup premiere a year ago, men’s teams from 24 countries qualified for matches in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney. In the end, the Serbs around Novak Djokovic, accompanied by drums, trumpets and deafening chants, defeated the Spaniards with Rafael Nadal. All agreed that the new competition got off to a great start in competition with the Davis Cup. This time, the number of participating teams and the number of match days are reduced by half; In the preliminary round, which began this Tuesday at 10:00 am local time in Melbourne with Serbia’s 2-1 victory over Canada in Group A, four groups of three teams play each, with the four winners reaching the semi-finals.

Zverev with difficulties at first

For the Germans with Alexander Zverev, Jan Lennard Struve and doubles Kevin Kreowitz / Andreas Mies, the dance begins on Wednesday (8pm CET on Sky) against Canada with singles Denis Shapovalov and Milos Raonic, the next day at the same time against the Serbs. They were knocked out last year with two defeats from three matches after the preliminary round, mainly due to a spoiled start to the season against Zverev, who lost three games. It was very sad for him and his team, Zverev said at a press conference over the weekend, “I only won one set, and that wasn’t good enough.”