The switch from clay to grass is not easy, even for a world number one like Jannik Sinner (Italy). So his first-round victory over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann (Germany) was also a labour of love, the completion of a compulsory task without glitz and glamour. In the end, the only thing that counts is the result: 7:5, 6:3 and the associated entry into the second round. The Italian may well succeed in his mission to defend his title in Halle. "There are a lot of strong players playing because they all want to prepare for Wimbledon. I always feel particularly comfortable here in Halle because the atmosphere is always so good. Let's see how far we can go," said a relieved and satisfied Jannik Sinner.
Yannick Hanfmann played a decent match and demanded a lot from the world number one. In the longer rallies, the German even often had the better end to the match, as he was much closer to the baseline than Jannik Sinner, who was sometimes too far back, reminiscent of Roland Garros in Paris. The stops, which the German interspersed from time to time, did not fail to have an effect. For the most part, Jannik Sinner couldn't get close to them.
However, it speaks for the cleverness and coolness of the defending champion, who held his serve confidently with only one exception. He only conceded two break points in the entire match. While Yannick Hanfmann failed to capitalise on these opportunities, the Italian struck in the manner of a top player precisely at the moments when he had the chance. That was the case in the first set at 6:5, when he won the second break point to win the round 7:5.
He managed to do so earlier in the second set. The score was 4:2 after another break. Two of his own service games later, Jannik Sinner had wrapped up victory: 7:5, 6:3 after exactly 90 minutes.
