After ending in singles, the Nuremberg Justin Engel, together with his double partner Max Rehberg, plays very big and ensures a sensation: the duo defeats Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos on number two.
Everyone saw how much this victory meant: Justin Engel threw his cap away, ran to his double partner Max Rehberg, ready to celebrate the completely surprising victory with a “Chest Bump”. At the same time, the Munich audience raged even louder after the transformed match ball of the young Germans than before with the point gains.
Completely surprisingly, the only 17-year-old Engel and his partner Rehberg (21) threw in the first round of the ATP tournament in Munich with a gripping 7: 5, 7: 5 Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos (Spain/Argentina). The two veterans are considered a world-class double.
Angel after ending in singles with new hope
The coup was particularly concerned. The Nuremberg had received a wildcard from tournament director Patrik Kühnen for the main field, but was already eliminating in his first round match against the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (4: 6, 1: 6). The youngster was equivalent for a long time.
In doubles, angels and Rehberg are in the quarter -finals, but more important is the young Nuremberg that he can gain further experience at a high level in Munich. Defeats are calculated: “Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” he knows, but it is important: “In tennis you always have to be mentally mentally positive.”
Angel youngest German winner since Becker
Engel had caused a sensation last October when he received a wildcard for the ATP tournament in Almaty in Kazakh: two weeks after his 17th birthday, he won a match on the tour since Boris Becker in 1984, since then there have been a three-time Wimbledon winner.
In addition to his friend Diego Dedura-Palomero of the same age, who sensationally reached the round of 16 as a Lucky Lucky, the angel is considered a great German hope. “It is something nice to be compared to Boris Becker,” says Engel, “but I want to be Justin Engel.”
He is working on it – with a very prominent coach: Philipp Kohlschreiber, three times winner in Munich, was at least 16. “He was a clever player,” says Engel: “He can teach me the game intelligence.”
Krawietz/Pütz in the quarter -finals
The Coburger Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz also deserve to the quarter -finals. They prevail against the Indian-American duo Bhambri/Galloway and are now meeting the French Doumbia/Reboul.
Botic van de Zandschulp, who was in the final of Munich in 2022 and 2023, left Ben Shelton in the second round (6: 7, 3: 6).
