By Ian Chadband
Thanasi Kokkinakis has dragged Australia back into their final Davis Cup group tie against Germany, beating the hosts’ top-ranked player Oscar Otte in Hamburg.
Lleyton Hewitt’s experimental-looking Aussie outfit had lost the opening rubber on Sunday when Max Purcell went down in straight sets to Jan-Lennard Struff.
Thanasi Kokkinakis in action for Australia against Oscar Otte, of Germany, during their Davis Cup group stage tie in Hamburg on Sunday.Credit:Getty Images
With his team’s qualification for the finals shoot-out in Malaga in November already assured, captain Hewitt had rung the changes by drafting in two new singles players.
That meant a tough singles baptism for debutant Purcell, who’s been shining in the doubles with two victories, as he had to tackle big-hitting Struff in front of a partisan full-house in the Rothenbaum Arena.
Alexander Zverev, who had been intending to make his comeback to competition after his shocking injury in the French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal only to suffer a setback in training this week, was also at courtside, cheering for Struff with his German teammates.
Blown away in the first set, Purcell regrouped to make a fight of it in the second stanza, before losing 6-1, 7-5 to Struff, who made it three wins out of three for the week.
But Kokkinakis, who was unable to take his place in the singles alongside Alex de Minaur earlier in the week because he was suffering from flu-like symptoms, looked back to his sharpest as he defeated Otte 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 to level affairs at 1-1.
That left Purcell with a chance to make amends for his earlier loss as he teamed up with Matt Ebden in the deciding doubles, the Wimbledon champions being presented with a formidable challenge against German pair Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz.
Something was going to have to give, with both unbeaten duos having won their previous matches in Hamburg this week.
De Minaur, who won both his singles in the victories against Belgium and France, and Jason Kubler, victor on his debut against the Belgians, were given a rest by Hewitt.
The Australians know that if they lose to Germany, they’ll meet the Netherlands on November 22 in the quarter-finals in Malaga.
If they win and top group C, the Aussies will face the runners-up in group B – either Canada or Serbia.
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