VIENNA (AP)—Former tennis professional Clemens Trimmel will replace Gilbert Schaller as captain of the Austrian Davis Cup team and sports director of the national tennis federation.
Tennis federation president Ernst Wolner announced a three-year deal Friday with Trimmel, who played on the ATP circuit from 1997-2004 and reached a career-high ranking of 147th in 2001.
The 33-year-old Trimmel said one of his main targets will be leading the Davis Cup team at least into the quarterfinals of the World Group for the first time since 1995.
“That’s a must. It has been 16 years now,” Trimmel said. “We will always be the underdog against the top-8 seeded nations.”
Austria plays two-time champions Russia in the first round of the 2012 Davis Cup in February.
“Considering that Argentina, United States, Spain or France could have been our opponents as well, Russia is not a bad draw,” Trimmel said. “If all players are fit, we have a 50-50 chance.”
Schaller, who became captain in 2007, announced in May that he would step down at the end of the season to become a full-time coach of young players at the federation’s national tennis school.
Austria lost 3-2 to France in March but saved its spot in the World Group in its last match under Schaller by beating Belgium 4-1 in the play-off series in September.