Marterer puts DTB team on track

Tennis pro Maximilian Marterer has given the weakened German Davis Cup team a successful start to their first group match against Slovakia. The Nuremberg player beat Lukas Klein 6:4, 7:5 in Zhuhai, China, after a concentrated performance, giving team manager Michael Kohlmann’s team a good starting position. Karlsruhe’s Yannick Hanfmann can now complete the opening win against Slovakia in the second singles match against Jozef Kovalik.

The best two teams from the group of four will advance to the final round in Malaga, Spain, in November. Other German group members are Chile (Thursday) and the USA (Saturday), who also have a weakened squad. “It’s a huge relief. I hope we keep going like this,” said Marterer.

Kohlmann will have to do without his top players in China. Alexander Zverev had to cancel his participation by chance, and Jan-Lennard Struff and Dominik Koepfer have to miss out due to injury. Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz only arrived on Monday evening from New York, where they played in the US Open final on Sunday. Henri Squire is taking part as a debutant.

The German Tennis Association (DTB) had previously criticized the hosting of the group phase in China, especially since the host is not even there. Kohlmann spoke of an “arduous journey” to humid Zhuhai and the “huge effort” that this entails. The other group phases will be held in Bologna, Manchester and Valencia.