DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 22, 2024

Michael Kohlmann

Jan-Lennard Struff

Daniel Altmaier

Team Germany

Press Conference

T. GRIEKSPOOR/J.L. Struff

6-7, 7-5, 6-4

Team Germany - 0

Team Netherlands - 2

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference with Team Germany. Questions in English.

Q. I'm sorry for the result. For both of you, you have shown great fighting spirit. How do you manage to believe in yourself and to push a little bit more, and the mental approach that you have in the crucial moments in the tiebreaks and the match in general?

JAN-LENNARD STRUFF: Thank you. I think we both gave everything. It's not that hard to fight that much for your country, and in general, we're both tough competitors. We always give everything. We don't want to stop and always try to get our shot even though we're down.

Daniel played amazing from 2-4 down. He was fighting so hard. It was incredible and nearly got the win.

For me it was a bit tough match, I would say. Tallon played very well. I had little chance in the second set, but he didn't give me many opportunities. But I tried everything, as always. The atmosphere was amazing.

DANIEL ALTMAIER: Yeah, similar for me, I guess. When you go out there and you don't play only for yourself, you play for a team, brings something special out of me.

I had a similar, I guess, match when I was playing my first tie against Switzerland when I was down and I think wasn't playing great, but it always comes out of me that I always have a chance with my ability.

So it's been, yeah, another proof today that I always can come back. Doesn't matter the way how I play. Obviously it hurts now for the second time to have, yeah, not good finish, because at the end of the day you want to leave the court as a winner, which really hurts, because yeah, nobody's going to talk about the loser.

Q. Perhaps for the captain. As both your players mentioned, the match was really tight. What made the difference in your opinion between The Netherlands and Germany today?

CAPTAIN MICHAEL KOHLMANN: I mean, in the second match I think Tallon, he served unbelievable. I didn't see the percentages, but I thought, like, from what I saw, I was saying it's between 65% and 75% first serves. His second serve was 180, which I think is one of the faster ones on the tour.

He kept himself in the match. I think the first one-and-a-half sets Jan-Lennard was the better player. Once he missed the two break opportunities at 4-3 in the second, I thought the momentum changed a bit, and Tallon actually took over a little bit. He was more aggressive. He tried to get into the points a little bit better. Unfortunately, he served so well that there was no other opportunity for us to come back.

The first match I think it was like a roller coaster a little bit. Daniel already said it was 4-6, 2-4. All of a sudden, he got himself a chance in the second set. He was fighting unbelievable. He saved some match points.

I just thought you could call him Houdini, I think, how he did that. And then all of a sudden, I think in the beginning of the third set, he was the better player. So there was a slight chance also in that match to get maybe the first point, but Botic actually then, yeah, stayed tough, stayed calm, got his chances, and then played a very, very good game I think to 5-3 for the break.

So, you know, these ties always like couple chances here and there, and today The Netherlands took the one, two chances more than us. So they deserved to win. I wish them all the best for the finals.