Austria’s currently second-best double player, Alexander Peya, is missing not only at the US Open in New York, but also at the Davis Cup in Graz. As feared, the 38-year-old Viennese has suffered a serious injury and is now even trembling over the rest of his season.
Peya is 16th in the double ranking and fourth in the double race to London with the Croatian Nikola Mektic. “I tore two tendons and the inner ligament is also torn or damaged. The question that cannot yet be answered is whether the pain is acute only the tendons or also the inner ligament,” explained the Wimbledon Mix winner on request of APA – Austria Presse Agentur.
In any case, Peya now wants to look for the conservative treatment method. “If it turns out it is the inner ligament after all, I’m not going to have surgery. Of course I hope not,” said Peya.
So, of course, he can’t say at the moment whether he will be able to play at all in 2018. “I will try with all my might.” An operation would mean at least six months off duty.
But first Peya tries to think positively and hopes that the ÖTV team will win the world group play-off against Australia in Graz from 14 to 16 September. And then he wishes for a Davis Cup comeback “hopefully in February” in the new world group.
Peya will be replaced by two Austrians in Flushing Meadows: in the men’s doubles Jürgen Melzer will play in his place with Nikola Mektic and is already in the round of 16.
And in Mixed Oliver Marach has agreed to compete with the US-American Nicole Melichar. The Styrian is already in the quarter-finals with Melichar, with whom Peya won the mixed Wimbledon title in London.
“Of course, we’re trying to win the tournament here. Normally I wouldn’t have played here, but Nicole called me after that,” said Marach after the quarter-final entry of the APA. “It’s really bitter what happened to Alex. They’re up front in the race and it’s really questionable if he can still play this year.”
It is now up to Davis Cup captain Stefan Koubek to decide whether to nominate Philipp Oswald or veteran Jürgen Melzer for the Schlager in Graz. Marach says: “I can play with anyone. Jürgen just likes to play on the advantage side, I would have to train on the debut side of the week. I have played many tournaments with Ossi. That’s up to Stefan.” However, you also have to see how Melzer acts in New York. “If he plays well here, he’s worth thinking about.”