The German team that will face Hungary this weekend for a place in the final phase of the Davis Cup will not be able to count on Alexander Zverev, world number six, who is out at the last minute due to illness.
"We have hoped until the end that Alexander could support us against Hungary after his great performance in Australia. Unfortunately, there was not enough time for him to get fit in time. Now we have to be together as a team to make up for his absence," explained German team captain Michael Kohlmann.
"Although the Hungarians have a very strong team, I am convinced that we can last here without it thanks to our unity," said the captain.
The player called to replace Zverev, a semi-finalist last week at the Australian Open, is Maximilian Marterer, number 92 in the ranking, who was playing in the Montpellier (France) tournament, but was eliminated on Tuesday.
24 teams, including powers such as Canada, champion two seasons ago, Croatia, runner-up in 2021 or France, winner ten times, the most recent in 2017, or the United States, the most successful country in history, make up the twelve qualifying rounds from which many other teams will emerge that will make up the final poster of the Final Phase of the Davis Cup 2024.
But in addition, 46 other countries compete in the World Group I and World Group II qualifiers throughout the weekend.
Some of the main players on the circuit have responded to their team's call to bid for the goal. This is the case of the ninth in the ATP ranking, Taylor Fritz, leader of the United States, who goes to Vilnius to achieve the goal against Ukraine.
Francisco Cerúndolo, number 22 in the world, goes to the Argentine team, which receives Kazakhstan in Rosario, with Alexander Bublik (27) at the helm. Canadian Denis Shapovalov assumes the leadership of Canada in the absence of Felix Auger Aliassime for the clash in Santiago against Chile, supported by Nicolás Jarry (20). Emil Ruusuvuori (55) leads the Finnish team that receives Portugal.
Likewise, the duels in the lower categories are also encouraged by the presence of top-level players. This is the situation of the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (8), the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (10) or the Norwegian Casper Ruud (12), members of the top 20 in the world rankings and regular tenants of the final rounds of tournaments.
Norway receives Latvia, Greece visits Romania, Poland visits Uzbekistan, Mexico awaits Denmark, Colombia awaits Luxembourg and Ecuador visits Egypt in one of the World Group 1 duels that aim to grow in the tournament and next year play for access. to the Finals of the competition.
There are twenty-four teams bidding for the twelve places. The winners will join Italy, current champion, Australia, finalist in 2023, and Great Britain and Spain, which have a direct invitation. The sixteen will be divided into four groups of as many teams that will face each other from September 10 to 15, in venues yet to be determined, and from which the eight teams will emerge - the first two of each quartet - that will make up the finals that will be played again. in Malaga, between November 19 and 24.
The countdown to the competition starts this weekend. Seventy nations make up the duels of the qualifying rounds, those of World Groups I and World Group II.
Each matchup, the best of three sets, is resolved in the best of five games. On the first day, the number one player from the home country will play against the number two player from the visiting country and then vice versa. On the second day, the doubles match and the two remaining singles will be played first, between the two number ones of each team, and then the two number twos.
