About the team doctor as a dog sitter, a James Bond fit-maker, a visit to the castle and a crowd of numbers: tennisnet.com has gathered everything worth knowing about the German team’s Fed Cup semi-final against the Czech Republic on Saturday (from 12.00 pm) and Sunday (from 11.00 am/each time live on DAZN) with a wink.
By Ulrike Weinrich from Stuttgart
DIDI, THE DOG SITTER
Normally Didi Wolter is responsible for the well-being of Julia Görges, Angelique Kerber, Tatjana Maria and Anna-Lena Grönefeld. The team doctor from Berlin, himself a formidable tennis player, finds the right therapy for every little ailment – and also always has an open ear for the rest of the team. In Stuttgart, however, Wolter can be seen more and more often accompanied by a lady dog. Her name: Rone. The cute Jack Russel Terrier belongs to Barbara Rittner, who likes to entrust the “Doc” with dog-sitter tasks when she is herself on the court as Head of Women’s Tennis. And didi does that.
MIKE, THE TOUGH DOG
Some things are new in the German Fed Cup team – for example Jens Gerlach, who celebrates his home game premiere as team boss this weekend. And that in his native city Stuttgart. But some things just always stay the way they are in Team Germany. Cult fitness trainer Mike Diehl has been part of the inventory for years – and is as popular as it is feared by the players. And above all because of its strength and endurance units with its own body weight. And the Tabata training, not to be confused with “Ciabatta”. Diehl’s motto: “Train hard, fight hard”. And the tough, soft-core coach is licensed to grind. Among others, James Bond aka Daniel Craig has already been made fit by Diehl. By order of Her Majesty – so to speak.
WHAT THE DAYS WERE LIKE – AND WHAT STILL LIES AHEAD
Since Monday the team around Julia Görges is together and lives relatively centrally in the city. As agreed, Angelique Kerber joined her colleagues a few hours later because she had previously been on the Nürburgring as a sponsor with former Australian Formula 1 driver Mark Webber. On Wednesday evening, after a long day of training – also at Porsche’s invitation – the team had a chic dinner. On Thursday evening the team dinner took place in Stuttgart Castle, before the draw took place on Friday at 12.00 o’clock in the city hall. There always very popular with the players: The ride in the paternoster.
HARD BUT WARM – THE MOOD IS RIGHT
As in the previous duels, there is a good atmosphere between the teams this time as well. Barbara Rittner already gave Czech captain Petr Pala restaurant tips for the ten-time title holder’s stay in Stuttgart on the fringes of the Miami tournament. Julia Görges and Karolina Pliskova, both with the number-one status of their teams, know each other very well from double days together. And Pala has great respect for the Gerlach selection: “The odds are 50:50. The Germans are always strong.”
GOOSEBUMPS AND SPECIAL EMOTIONS
For Julia Görges, it is this “completely different atmosphere compared to everyday tournament life” that makes the Fed Cup bets so special. “You play not only for yourself, but for everyone – for the whole of Germany,” said the world ranking elves. Angelique Kerber also likes these moments “when the whole team cheers you on out of the box. That is a special feeling”. Double specialist Anna-Lena Grönefeld has always regarded the Fed Cup “as a matter of the heart. Together with the team I experienced some of the most unforgettable moments of my career.” Tatjana Maria, one of the heroes of the surprising quarter-final success in February in Belarus (3-2), also blossoms when there is a common goal. Charlotte (4), daughter of the WTA Circuit, is also responsible for the looseness. “Of course you still want to win your matches, but there are other things in life,” Maria said.
WANT SOME PAYROLL?
The last duel with the Czech Republic lost the DTB selection for the time being. It was the Prague 2014 final (1:3). In a direct comparison, Germany are 7-1 behind – the only victory to date dates back to 1987, with the experienced Swede Stefan Fransson as head referee in the almost sold out Porsche Arena in Stuttgart (capacity: 4500 spectators). The chair referees are Louise Azemar-Engzell (Sweden) and Julie Kjendlie (Norway).
AND WHAT ELSE IS INTERESTING
Angelique Kerber’s matches will be broadcast on her official Facebook page in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. All other games will be LIVE on DAZN on Saturday and Sunday. Recently, Stan Wawrinka and David Goffin, among others, streamed their games on their Facebook pages. They are regarded as pioneers of a new development that could become more and more fashionable as an alternative to transmissions.