A lot of sand in the gears: Melzer’s Davis Cup team still has work to do

Also the last injured one Filip Misolic After recovering from a heel injury, is a topic for the Davis Cup spectacle in Vienna’s Prater on the grounds of the WAC, the oldest club in Austria. “He asked me if I could train with him. He is fully fit again and should play tournaments again at the end of August. The US Open is definitely planned.”

Yuri Rodionov wins again after a long dry spell. The 27-year-old, who became a hero last year with his victories in Hungary, answered whether things are finally looking up with the following sentence: “You never know with me. I win three tournaments and then don’t play a match for six months.” A sentence that Melzer acknowledged with a smile. “That’s just how he is. But he always plays well in the Davis Cup,” Austria’s record player in the team is already thinking about the spectacle in the Vienna Prater against the Belgians. In Kitzbühel, Rodionov defeated Vorarlberg at the start after surviving qualification Joel Schwärzler 6:2, 6:4. The 20-year-old doesn’t really get going. “But things can happen quickly at that age,” says Melzer about the 20-year-old.

On Luke Neumayerwho failed in the first round against German Kitzbühel specialist Yannick Hanfmann, still has a bit of work to do, which Melzer shares with top trainer Günter Bresnik. “I’ve been training with Lukas for three weeks. The division works well. “Melzer says about his exit from the Generali Open: “He played well, but should have used the set point in the first set. But he’s on the right track.” At least in doubles he is in the Kitz quarter-finals with Schwärzler.

Ofner eliminated

Sebastian Ofner dropped out of this after good performances. The Styrian lost in the first round in Kitzbühel against Slovakian Alex Molcan 4:6, 4:6 after just 68 minutes. “If you don’t get into the rallies, it will be difficult here at altitude,” said Ofner.

In doubles, Melzer hopes for a speedy recovery Alex Erlerso that he can be back in Vienna with his standard partner Lucas Miedler can hit. But there is another option: Neil Oberleitner is on the rise this year. “And with different partners. It’s definitely an issue,” says Melzer. In Kitzbühel, the nephew of tournament director Alexander Antonitsch played alongside his new work colleague Petr Nouza from the Czech Republic. It’s Miedler’s turn with Marc Polmans on Wednesday; he last won with the Australian in Gstaad. “We haven’t been together for long, but so far it’s good,” says Miedler. “In doubles you never know what’s coming.”

Melzer doesn’t know what’s coming from the Belgians either. “They have three individual players where it probably doesn’t matter who they put in. Which makes it more difficult for me because you don’t know which of these three is playing,” says Melzer. It is clear that Austria is an outsider.