Yannick Hanfmann has reached the finals at the Wolffkran Open. At the ATP-Challenger tournament in Ismaning, the 25-year-old prevailed against Dustin Brown in the semi-final.
It was in May of this year when the Bavarian Tennis Association presented the latest ATP-Challenger tournament in Germany at a press conference in Oberhaching. A title sponsor was also presented with the tower crane manufacturer and lessor WOLFFKRAN. Dustin Brown, one of the most spectacular German tennis players, adorned the more or less overnight freshly designed tournament poster.
The 32 year old from Celle fought his way to the semi-finals of the €43,000 indoor tournament, which is worth €43,000 and which is particularly noteworthy: the floor covering. The Sportpark Ismaning plays on carpet, which has become a rarity in the international professional circus. Only the fact that no other ATP-Challenger event will take place in Europe this week has prompted the Men’s Tennis World Association to grant permission for this underground.
For Brown, however, this coating is anything but a disadvantage. His powerful, aggressive game is predestined for these fast places in the north of Munich. With victories over Mats Moraing, Tobias Simon and Hubert Hurkacz, the player seated at number 2 also fought his way through to the final round. Here he met an opponent on Saturday afternoon with his fellow countryman Yannick Hanfmann, who, like Brown, finds his way around this underground.
Born in Karlsruhe, he trains at the Oberhaching TennisBase, not far from Ismaning and won the home tournament with victories over Marek Jaloviec, Jeremy Jahn and Tristan Lamasine. Curiously enough, Hanfmann’s two previous duels with Brown in Eckental and Wolfsburg also took place on carpet, where “Dreddy” emerged as the winner.
This time, however, the man who was seated at number 3 fought his way back again in the first set after losing the tie-break. Brown was dancing towards the net again and again, where he finally managed to score the point with skilful volleys, but he often got the short end of the stick when it came to the longer rallies. Hempman proved to be the more consistent player from the baseline, forcing the two only breaks of the match. In the 11th century he succeeded in making all the difference. Game of the third set, scored with a well-timed cross-court backhand pass-ball winner. The 25-year-old then served the match with a 6:7,6:3,7:5 win and entered the final.
“In contrast to the past, I like to play on carpet. At some point, I discovered that I can manage my game here quite well,”Hanfmann revealed after the match,”I serve quite well and the fast surface also suits my game. I’m actually looking forward to it when it’s on carpet, because it’s something special.”
16 beaten aces underscore the German’s statement and yet the match was anything but a self-propelled one:”It’s incredibly difficult against Dustin and sometimes makes you despair a little bit. However, I have simply tried to play point by point and also deal well with missed chances”, says Hanfmann about the key to success.
The world rankings 132. at this year’s BMW Open in Munich, where he advanced as a qualifier to the quarter-finals of the ATP 250 event. After that followed an ATP-Challenger final in Shymkent and a final at the Swiss Open Gstaad, which Hanfmann lost only just a few minutes against the Italian enfant terrible Fabio Fognini. The season was crowned early on with his first Davis Cup appearance for Germany in the play-offs against Portugal.
“It all went pretty well with a few good tournaments. Now, of course, I’m happy to be here. I believe that I have done a good job with the coaches in Oberhaching over the past two years, and at some point one naturally hopes for the corresponding results,”said Hanfmann referring to the fact that the successes are “a product of good work”.
“I could only dream of a Davis Cup vocation. It was also the opportunity for Hanfmann Boris Becker to meet Boris Becker, who in his function as Head of Men’s Tennis of the DTB also visited the tournament here in Ismaning.
“It was great with Boris. He was always there for us guys without playing himself in the foreground. Clearly you have felt his aura, but in the end what he is an advisor and this role he has done very well. I think he’s an enrichment for German tennis and I think that every player can always get something out of the tips he can give.”
In the final, Hanfmann will face Lorenzo Sonego, who emerged as the winner of the duel with Matteo Donati, two 22-year-old Italians. Sonego, who celebrated his first ATP-Challenger title last Sunday with the Val Gardena triumph, won 7-6,6-4 in an hour and 24 minutes.
“I saw him play. We’ve never trained together before,”says Hanfmann,”but after a few bad weeks on the tour for me, it would be nice to go home with the title. But first and foremost, I’m happy to be in the final and if I keep playing like this, I’ll definitely have a good chance of winning the match.”
For Dustin Brown, the day ended with a sense of achievement. Together with his partner Tim Pütz he reached the final of the WOLFFKRAN Open doubles competition. The two Germans defeated Tomasz Bednarek from Poland and the Dutchman David Pel 6:3,6:4. The final matches will start on Sunday at 1:30 pm.