Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann talks in the SID interview about Alexander Zverev’s prophecy, Roger Federer’s respect and the special London atmosphere.
Mr. Kohlmann, if someone had told you at the beginning of the year that Alexander Zverev will be taking part in the ATP final of the top eight players in London in November, how would you have reacted?
Michael Kohlmann (43, Davis Cup team boss): Of course, it’s great that he did that. And number three in the world, that’s outstanding. But already last February, when talking about the NextGen tournament in Milan, Sascha said,’ let’s see if I might even qualify for the ATP final’. I had a feeling he was going to fight for it.
What is Zverev in the group with Roger Federer, Marin Cilic and Jack Sock?
Kohlmann: He definitely has a chance to qualify for the semi-finals. I believe that this will be his first goal. But I think he’s even caught the somewhat more difficult group. Federer is the best player on fast surfaces – and London is fast. Cilic is uncomfortable to play – and Sock has been the last to qualify for the tournament thanks to strong performances in recent weeks.
What would the title win mean for Zverev?
Kohlmann: That would be the icing on the cake for a special year. Then Sascha would surely enter the Grand Slams with even more self-confidence. That’s what his focus will be on in 2018: to make even more progress at these tournaments. I think if he’s in the semi-finals in London, anything’s possible.
What do you think Zverev will be impressed by the unique atmosphere at the end of the season in the huge O2 Arena?
Kohlmann: I think he feels at home in this circle. And he knows he’s part of it. But I think the atmosphere will take him emotionally. The whole show around it – that’s not commonplace and something special. He’ll be impressed. I hope he can get it off quickly.
Former US Open Champion Cilic is Zverev’s first opponent on Sunday evening. What makes it so difficult to play against the Croatian?
Kohlmann: Maybe the fight for the semi-finals is already about the sausage in this match. You could say Cilic and Sascha neutralize each other. Both have a large reach, serve hard and return well. From the baseline they play powerfully. They are very similar in terms of strengths and weaknesses. In the end, it’s likely that the winner will be the one who is more offensive and gets more free points.
Zverev won against Roger Federer in Montreal. How do you see his chances this time?
Kohlmann: Roger certainly has a good deal of respect for Sascha. He knows he can’t play him at 80 percent. However, Federer also knows that he still has a head start in the really big matches where everything is at stake.