ATP Challenger: First final for Rudi Molleker in Heilbronn

Rudolf Molleker’s successful run at the NECKARCUP in Heilbronn continues. The 17-year-old Berliner defeated the Argentinian Juan-Ignacio Londero, the world’s number 197, in a highly entertaining 4:6, 6:3, 6:2 match on Saturday afternoon and enters his first final on the ATP-Challenger Tour.

After a rather slow start, Molleker obviously felt comfortable on the Center Court on Trappensee with increasing playing time and managed the decisive breaks in the second and third movements. He only served once, however, firing eleven aces to bag the match after just under two hours.

“I was very nervous at the beginning and it was also mentally difficult for me because I wanted to reach the final,” said Molleker after the game, which certainly contained some explosive elements. So the German youngster liked to cheer loudly in Spanish in between to show his South American opponent his presence on the court.

“Sure I was the underdog today, but I’m playing incredible tennis here this week,” the teenager said overjoyed. “It’s gonna be a long time before I get this right. At my age, not many players of that age can claim to be in a Challenger final. It confirms to me that I’m moving in the right direction and it pays to work hard.”

Only Félix Auger-Aliassime from Canada (Lyon and Sevilla 2017) and Nicola Kuhn from Spain (Braunschweig 2017) are the only two players of 2000 to advance to a final at Challenger level, alongside the German.

Molleker was again supported by his coach Jan Velthuis: “He is already acting as a kind of second father for me, as I am often away from home. We have many good and bad times together. He’s the reference person for me and we can talk about anything.”

And who else belongs to Team Molleker? “My fitness trainer Christian Rauscher, but also my family is very important. We talk on the phone every day, but they rarely travel with us. My dad used to train me too and I am very grateful to him for that,” says the Ukrainian-born blonde. At the age of 3 Molleker came to Germany, whose ancestors all come from here. After the 10th grade he finished school to concentrate on tennis. “I’m getting better and better at it,” smiles the Roger Federer fan, who lives in Oranienburg but cultivates a rather ascetic lifestyle at the tennis base in Hanover during the week.

“Training, eating and sleeping are the main components,” says Molleker, who is more interested in the American basketball league NBA than in football.

“Of course I also travel a lot and people try to see some of the country and cities in which they play. But this is not always easy. Usually it is limited to airports, hotels and tennis courts. But when you have a day off, you try to use it.” In metropolises such as Bangkok or Melbourne, the Playstation console is often exchanged for a sightseeing bus.

With the move into the final, Molleker is already assured of 60 ATP ranking points, which will flush him into the Top 400. All winners in the four-year history of the NECKARCUP ended up in the top 100 in the world later in their careers.

“This is the beginning of what I hope will be a successful career. I hope to continue like the boys who won here.”

He can take another step in this direction with a title win on Sunday. However, with Jiri Vesely the number 2 of the tournament is waiting there. The world rankings 81st from the Czech Republic defeated Kamil Majchrzak from Poland 7:5, 6:2 in the evening match.