Alejandro González launches the battle cry in Davis: “The head is worth double”

Colombia faces this Friday and Saturday the series of the Davis Cup qualifiers against Great Britain. With the loss of their best tennis player, Daniel Galán from Bumangués, who has been suffering from an abdominal injury since January, those led by Alejandro Falla hope to hit the ground running in Bogotá against a team that has been champions of the tournament ten times.

Waiting for Nicolás Mejía to start a new fight to reach the final phase of the world’s most important tennis tournament for countries (at 3pm, against Daniel Evans), EL TIEMPO spoke with Alexander Gonzalezthe tennis player from Antioquia who has given Colombia two of the most important points in this competition.

González, who with a lower ranking beat the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas as a visitor in 2015 and the Brazilian Joao Pedro Sorgi at home in 2018, believes that the bump is possible. Still, he sends out an alert: “In the last decade, it is the moment in which we have fewer singles tennis players at a high level”.

(We recommend: The story that sustains Luis Marquínez as the head of the Colombian National Team).

The Colombian titan of the Davis Cup speaks

Accustomed to being on the pitch, how do you see the series against the British from the outside?

I think it is a very tough confrontation because the reality is that we are not the favourites. The British come in with three players among the top fifty in the world, they have a highly ranked doubles team that is experts in their field, and in general they have everything to win. Even so, Colombia has nothing to lose and can surprise.

What are the weapons that Colombia has?

I think that the home team will be decisive in favor of the team because the British are not used to playing at this altitude. The same, although ours are not ranked equally, they have already competed at the highest level and with the support of the public they are growing.

Smith, the British captain, said it: “the conditions could not be more extreme due to the altitude…”

The British are high-level players who partly adapt and are going to do good things no matter how extreme the situation is. Now, it’s one thing to train, another to feel confident and another to face an important game at high altitude with nerves and pressure from the crowd. At one key point, with the Colombians loose and playing bravely, it could make a good difference.

How many chances are there with the loss of Galán, who was by far the main card to fight those points in singles?

The chances are. If we were in a Grand Slam tournament, in a normal calendar tournament, they would have everything in their favor, but they are not used to this height and that can equalize the conditions and the level a lot. In these circumstances, when supposedly the Colombians have been inferior in ranking and level, The fact of playing in Bogotá gives a plus that allows the series to be more equal.

How do you perceive then the options of Mejía and Barrientos?

Nicolás Mejía already knows what it is to compete in a world series and Barrientos is a player who has been playing doubles in ATP tournaments, so there are reasons to think that we can surprise. The team must enter to play loose, leaning on the public and taking advantage of all the conditions in Bogotá.

Unlike other series, the doubles game is really even because both teams are truly elite…

Doubles is the most even match. I have a lot of faith in Juan and Robert to be able to overcome Evans and Skuspki, they love to play against the Colombian people and, even if the game is close, we can win. Our doubles players are some of the best in the world.

Last year was his last appearance in Davis Cup and you don’t see many men who come back… how do you see the current situation of men’s tennis in Colombia?

It is true that if one looks at the last decade, this is the moment in which we have fewer players in singles at the high levelUnlike doubles players, which is perhaps one of the best moments. But then you have to trust the work of the boys. Nico Mejía is ready to make the leap and Daniel is already very consolidated.

And the new generations?

Regarding the new generations, there is great potential below, both in the male and female branches. The boys have been playing very well, and hopefully the process ends with them in the elite.

Ultimately, what is the key then to give the bump against Great Britain?

I believe that the first thing is to have faith and trust that it is possible. When you have nothing to lose, you can go out and play looser. You also have to know that there is a responsibility and that you have to take advantage of every possibility that presents itself. In tennis, even though there are differences in levels, in the Davis Cup the head is worth double.

ANDRES FELIPE BALAGUERA SARMIENTO

SPORTS JOURNALIST EL TIEMPO

More sports news