It was a wonderful kick-off for the German professional players at the 30. TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. In round number one of the qualifying Daniel Altmaier, Louis Wessels and Henri Squire went through and on Sunday will play for a place in the main draw. Wessels and Squire will then play against each other. Only Maximilian Marterer has to journey back home.
Altmaier, who is currently at no. 59 of the world, had to work very hard in the first set against Borna Gojo (ATP 111) from Croatia. In the end the man from Kempen won the deciding tiebreak 7:5. The defeated Croatian could take comfort in knowing that he delivered the most spectacular hit of the day. Altmaier praised a net attack by Gojo. The Croatian missed the ball with a smash, reacted quickly, turned around and then even played the ball into the field over his right shoulder with his back to the net. His astonished opponent was not able to pass back. Altmaier was unperturbed, after the first round the 24 year-old secured also the second set 6:3. In the qualifying finals Altmaier will meet Christopher Eubanks (USA, ATP 75), who won in three tight sets 6:7, 7:6 and 6:3 against French player Hugo Gaston on Sunday.
Louis Wessels’s balance sheet in Halle was not good so far. Twice, 2019 and 2022, the local hero played in the qualifying by wild card, the Bielefeld-born player who lives in Detmold was not able to win a set so far. That has changed. And even more, too. 24 year-old Wessels (ATP 344) defeated Chinese Zhizhen Zhang (ATP 56) clearly 6:4 and 6:2. “An absolute brilliant performance“, Wessels was happy about the coup, the perhaps biggest success of his career. He hadn’t won against a player ranking just under the top 50. The high light of his career so far was reaching the second round at the ATP tournament in Hamburg 2016. “To win a match here in Halle is even more special. And you can see what is possible when I in good form”, Wessel, who fulfilled many photo and autograph wishes with great joy, explained.
Wessels will meet his pal Henri Squire (22, ATP 316) in the finals of the qualifying. The man from Duisburg swept the French player Luca van Assche (ATP 69) surprisingly clearly 6:2 und 6:2 from the Tennis-Point-Court. Thanks to his strong service, good points at the net, as well as 23 wins Squire can dream of his second respective participation in the main draw at the 30. TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. It doesn’t have to stay just a dream, though. But opponent Wessels also played very sovereignly and goes into his next match with a lot of self-confidence.
The 30th TERRA WORTMANN OPEN have already come to an end for Maximilian Marterer (ATP 163) from Nuremberg. But the 27 year-old put up a fight. He lost only just to the no. 48 of the ATP world rankings, Aslan Karatsev, 6:4, 3:6 and 5:7 at the well filled Tennis-Point Court. Karatsev will now play Roman Safiullin (ATP 99), who defeated French player Benjamin Bonzi (ATP 76) 6:0, 7:5 on Saturday.
US-Americain Marcos Giron, no 57 of the world, made short work of Pavel Kotov (ATP 112). 6:4 and 6:4 was the score at the end of the first round qualifying match. The 29 year-old man from California plays Andrea Vavassori (ATP 129) from Italy on Sunday. The substitute for injured Australian player Max Purcell also defeated Radu Albot (ATP 102) from Moldova 6:4, 6:4.
