Dominic Thiem will be available to the Austrian Davis Cup team in the first round game on 1/2 February 2019 in Salzburg. The anticipation of the duel is enormous.
“We have Dominic Thiem’s firm promise that he will be available to the national team against Chile,” said ÖTV President Werner Klausner on Tuesday at a press conference in Mirabell Castle.
The participation of the French Open finalist is also the reason why Davis Cup captain Stefan Koubek gladly accepts the role of favourite. “We have a great chance against Chile with Dominic. We have a very strong team at our disposal. As a captain, you can only wish you had the agony of choice among the players. But we will certainly not underestimate the opponent,” Koubek said. Knowing well that Thiem lost 2017 in Hamburg against the Chilean Nicolas Jarry.
The ÖTV as Davis Cup organiser fulfils the players’ wish for a clay court. 70 to 80 tons of sand will be transported to the Salzburg Arena and construction of the square will begin on 10 January 2019. “Ten days later at the latest. Squad players of the Salzburg Tennis Association will be the first to test the clay court,” Edwin Weindorfer of the organizing agency e|motion announced.
Salzburg tennis talents will then be able to watch the training of the ÖTV team on 31 January at the side of Stefan Schnöll, Member of the State Council for Sports, and a “Meet&Greet” with an ÖTV player is also planned.
According to Salburg’s Deputy Mayor Bernhard Auinger, the Davis Cup match against Chile is something very special for the city, but also for the many tennis fans in the entire federal state, in the surrounding communities and in neighbouring Bavaria.
“Thanks to Dominic Thiem, we currently have a mega tennis hype like in the days of Thomas Muster. For the fair, this event is certainly the most important sports event ever held there. Salzburg is the sports capital in February, and we can be very proud of that,” Auinger explained.