No loss of serve, 22 aces and still trembling until the end: tennis professional Hanfmann won a close duel in Stuttgart. Jan-Lennard Struff also won his game spectacularly.
Tennis player Yannick Hanfmann made it to the round of 16 at the lawn tournament in Stuttgart with strong nerves. In a close first round match, the 34-year-old from Karlsruhe prevailed 7:6 (7:5), 7:6 (7:4) against the American Aleksandar Kovacevic. Hanfmann, Germany’s number two behind French Open winner Alexander Zverev, impressed with 22 aces on his own serve.
No Loss of serve for Hanfmann
Like Kovacevic, the veteran did not allow a loss of serve in the entire match. Hanfmann already had two match points at 5:4 in the second set, but the game was only decided in the tiebreak. After 1:50 hours, the German used his fourth match point.
“It was a classic lawn tennis match. We both served very well,” said Hanfmann. “Lawn tennis is always something special. I always look forward to it. It suits my style of play.” In the round of the best 16 on Wednesday (June 10, 11:00 a.m.) against the Italian Mattia Bellucci, he has the chance to reach the quarter-finals in Stuttgart for the first time.
Jan-Lennard Struff also in the round of 16
Jan-Lennard Struff followed suit a little later. After the deserved 6:2, 6:7 (5:7), 6:3 over the Canadian Alexis Galarneau, a highlight match against the third-seeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik now awaits the Warsteiner. At the French Open, he surprisingly eliminated the then top ten player from the tournament in the first round. “It was a tough match, very, very close. I’m happy to be through. I like it on grass, but the first match is always difficult,” said Struff after his win over Galarneau.
Three Germans fail in the first round
For Daniel Altmaier and the two youngsters Diego Dedura and Tom Gentzsch, the tournament on Killesberg is already over. The 27-year-old Altmaier showed a courageous performance, but he ultimately had to admit defeat against sixth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe 6:7 (3:7), 6:4, 4:6. Youngster Dedura (18 years old) lost to James Duckworth (Australia) 4:6, 3:6. The 22-year-old Gentzsch narrowly missed a surprise against Australian Rinky Hijikata 7:6 (9:7), 6:7 (2:7), 3:6.
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