Germany emerge as Antalya force with former junior champ at the helm
Should Germany’s rising stars come unstuck at any stage during the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors by BNP Paribas Finals then they have the perfect person in their corner to assist with any tricky moments. Captain Dirk Dier has been there and done it – but more about him later.
As it stands, Germany are ticking over pretty nicely in Antalya. They romped to victory over Tunisia today, their second win of the week and one which propels them to the summit of Group C and to within touching distance of the quarter-finals.
Their rout of Tunisia was a real team effort, with Josy Daems and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva chalking up singles triumphs before Daems joined forces with Valentina Steiner to great effect in the doubles. In short, it is all looking pretty rosy for Germany's girls at the moment.
“I feel as a team we are getting better and better,” Daems told itftennis.com. “Our team spirit is also very good, and we all get along so well. I cannot say how we are going to perform tomorrow, but we are feeling great at the moment.
“For me, it is a big honour to represent my nation in such an awesome tournament. I am very proud to represent Germany, and I am especially proud because the federation has chosen me to come here and represent my country. That’s a big thing.”
Dier agrees with Daems about Germany's current trajectory. “We went 1-0 down against Mexico on day one but then had pretty solid wins to take the tie,” he said. “Getting through that helped the girls a lot. The first tie, you always have to stick at it, hang in there and grind the balls. That’s what they did.
“It gave them a very good feeling and then today they played better. We have made a very good start to the tournament, and we are in a good position to go to the quarter-finals. If we do, then we’ll see. If we play like we did today, we are strong.”
Dier is known now for his coaching expertise but delve into his history and he has achieved what the likes of Daems, Zhiyenbayeva and Steiner dream of: winning a Junior Grand Slam title. Indeed, Dier was crowned Australian Open boys’ champion in 1990.
A professional career followed before a transition to coaching. That has been his life for more than 20 years and in that time he has coached headline acts such as Angelique Kerber, Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Andrea Petkovic.
As a head coach at the German Tennis Federation, he is also heavily involved with Germany’s Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams, so it is little wonder the likes of Daems value his input.
“He is so important for us,” said the 16-year-old. “He is the leader, a very good leader, and he gives us good advice all of the time. It is very nice to have him by our side.
“It is a hard to say what his best advice has been because I experience every day him giving good advice, but I am learning a lot from him. He has a lot of experience, and he is a great tennis coach.”
While Dier remains very much involved at the top end of the game, this is his second successive year captaining Germany at the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors Finals. For him, coaching and nurturing talent is a deep-rooted passion.
“Being around young people and seeing how they develop and being a little part of that – maybe they take a little something out of it – gives me a lot of joy,” said the 50-year-old.
“I didn’t play this tournament, but, as a player, I went through the same stages which Josy, Sonja and Valentina are going through now and I try to give them some of that experience, although I am not always saying, ‘when I played....’.
“What I really try to tell them is, ‘play to win. Be in control but also be offensive, try to bring your best and take opportunities rather than wait for them’. As I say, I really enjoy coaching young players. It is a privilege and hopefully I can do it for many years to come.”
Dier’s personal triumph in juniors may not form a huge part of his coaching output, but it is worth noting that he became Germany’s first Junior Grand Slam champion for 30 years when he defeated India’s Leander Paes in the final.
“I honestly don’t remember everything about that final,” said Dier. “But, for sure, I remember the match point I had and the unbelievable relief and happiness I felt when I converted it. I didn’t realise at the time but a little while later I did realise that it was a great win for me.”
Perhaps a similar moment awaits his latest protégés this week.
Results
Billie Jean King Cup Juniors Finals – day two
Group A
USA 3-0 Thailand
Colombia 1-2 Türkiye
Group B
Serbia 2-1 Chile
Netherlands 0-3 Japan
Group C
Australia 1-2 Mexico
Tunisia 0-3 Germany
Group D
Czech Republic 3-0 Egypt
Spain 1-2 Argentina