Thiem & Co. hope for Group win in ATP Cup

For the second time, but under different circumstances, the ATP Cup will be played in Australia. From 2 to 6 February, this time twelve rather than 24 countries will compete for the title as the Davis Cup counterpart in the newly created ATP team competition. Austria is represented again due to Dominic Thiem. With the Dennis Novak and Philip Oswald / Tristan-Samuel Weisborn duets, the succeedTV team wants to succeed in Group C against Italy and France.

The coronavirus pandemic has halved the number of participants in the event, topping $ 4.5 million, and this time the Australian Open will be played in Melbourne instead of three Australian cities. Players can get a maximum of 500 singles or 250 double digits for ranking. Of course, the final fine-tuning and match practice in the week before the first Grand Slam tournament of the year from 8 February is also important to Thiem & Co.

Last year’s finalists Thiem, such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal and their training partner Denis Novak, killed Laila. The US Open winner of Lichtenworth showed quite good form in a mock match against Nadal (5: 7.4: 6), but it is now getting really “serious”.

In Group A, defending champions Serbia will face Germany and Canada led by Djokovic, Pool B will face Nadal with Spain and Australia. Eventually, Russia will meet Argentina and Japan with ATP Finals winner Daniel Medvedev. Only the winners of the respective group reach the semi-finals and this is the first goal of the red-white-red team supervised by Thiem father Wolfgang.

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We definitely want to play well. I also think we have good chances because we have a strong team. And world number three and 17-time tournament winners also want to make up for something. “It was a bit bitter last year because I was well prepared and then played two bad games. I hope to do better this year. ‘

Duel Monfiles against Neo-Bresnik

Novak opens 00:00 CET on Tuesday at the John Caine Arena (formerly Melbourne Arena) against Fabio Fognini, after which Thiem meets Matteo Beretini. As usual, the games end with a double. On Thursday (again at midnight) Austria will play against France, with Novak initially playing against Benoit Paire before Thiem meets the neo-Brechenic protege Gayle Monfils. Monfils is not coached on site by Bresnik, but on the recommendation of an ex-Thiem coach by Austrian Richard Ruckelshausen, who is also the captain of the French.