Hamburg Open Day Two Round-up | De Minaur and Shelton win three-set thrillers as Mensik and Davidovich Fokina advance

Day two of the Hamburg Open saw two top 10 players set to headline proceedings. First up was an out of sorts Alex de Minaur who had to grind out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win against Francisco Cerundolo to get that winning feeling back.

The Aussie had only won four of his last 11 matches, counting back from when he won the ABN AMRO Open. His fast start to the year has slowed almost to a stop. He was now hit with a brutal first round tie against a talented player on the dirt, and it would seem to get worse with Cerundolo blasting ahead after fending off a comeback by de Minaur.

De Minaur would take the initiative in the second set. He created an opening before being broken as he attempted to serve it out. Nevertheless, he just got the job done on his opponent’s serve the next time of asking. He was now cooking on gas, breaking twice enroute to a commanding 4-0 lead. Another three consecutive breaks occurred as Cerundolo limited the deficit to just one break, but it was still too much of a tall order as de Minaur served it out, taking his first match point to survive an almighty scare.

It was also a very tight match for Ben Shelton. The world number six was without a win on clay since defeating Flavio Cobolli in the final of the BMW Munich Open. After two early losses in Madrid and Rome, he managed to get back on the winning side with a closely fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3) victory over Marcos Giron.

Shelton needed just one break point to get ahead and was in control of the set right until the end. He had to defend a first break point in the match before moments later sewing up the set. The breakthrough would come much later in the second set. As it looked destined for a tiebreak with both players unchallenged on their serve, Giron pulled out the goods late on to keep this tie up in the air.

Shelton faced and successfully defended one break point in the third set as this time a tiebreak was created. Shelton managed to keep his cool and came through a thrilling finale by winning the tiebreak 7-3. Always in control, he breaks his mini winless streak and advances into the second round.

Outside of Shelton and de Minaur, there were other big names involved. No less than Alejandro Davidovich Fokina whose 6-4, 6-4 win over Corentin Moutet was overshadowed by a bizarre moment where the Frenchman pulled his shorts down on court.

There was good reason to why Moutet will leave Hamburg a frustrated figure. He failed to take any of his 11 break chances, firmly letting Davidovich Fokina off the hook. To rub salt into the wound, the Spaniard took the one opportunity that came his way, sealing him the first set. He would follow that by launching himself into a 3-1 lead. Routine holds of serve led to a dramatic final game. Two missed match points opened a door for Moutet, but following the trend he failed to take two more break points. Davidovich Fokina slammed the door shut, converting his third match point and setting up a tie against de Minaur.

Jakub Mensik kicked off his campaign in style, taking down German wildcard Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(3), 6-2 for a comfortable pathway into the second round in Hamburg.

The first set came to life after a flurry of break points were not taken – three in fact for each player. A tiebreak was needed, and Mensik produced the goods. He raced clear into a 5-2 lead before seeing it out. He would add to his set advantage with the first break of serve in the match. He backed it up with another one to sail into a 4-1 lead. He made it five games in a row to move one away from victory. He took his fourth match point, and breezed into round two.

Cerundolo was not the only Argentine in action. Camilo Ugo Carabelli looked to be in deep trouble before reversing the script in a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over the new Polish number one Kamil Majchrzak.

The first set was dominated by Majchrzak, breezing towards what looked like the hallway point of a routine triumph. However, back came Ugo Carabelli. He went 4-0 up before seeing out the second set with holds of serve. Just one break of serve was needed in the third set which secured a very solid win and the chance to have a crack at Frances Tiafoe.

It was more straightforward for Tomas Martin Etcheverry. He downed Cincinnati Open semi-finalist Terence Atmane 6-2, 7-6(4) to continue his fine form on the surface.

He was a man on a mission in the opening stages of the contest, breaking twice enroute to a 5-1 lead. Two games later he was a set to the good after taking his second set point. 12 holds later, a tiebreak was created to settle the second set. Atmane knew he needed to win it to have any chance in this contest but was in a perilous position when 5-2 down. Etcheverry quickly got it done and sets up a tie against Tommy Paul.

An all-German clash intrigued the home support. It pitched 34-year-old Yannick Hanfmann against 18-year-old qualifier Max Schoenhaus. Experience prevailed in the end as Hanfmann won 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4.

After going 2-1 down, Hanfmann won five of the next six games to take control of the match. The second set was a lot closer. Schoenhaus broke and had a chance to serve for the second set. His efforts were halted by his fellow countryman who forced a tiebreak. The world number 452 kept his hopes alive in a very convincing display. However, the last laugh would go to Hanfmann. He recovered brilliantly and broke to go 3-2 to the good. Schoenhaus wasted four golden chances to get back on level terms, and that would be his last chance of the match. Hanfmann saw it out on serve, holding to love to advance.

There was more success for German tennis players. A rain delay was not going to stop Daniel Altmaier in his tracks, defeating qualifier Rinky Hijikata 7-5, 6-2.

Altmaier strode into a formidable 4-1 lead, or so as it seemed. Hijikata stormed back into the matchup, getting level at 4-4. Altmaier failed to convert a break point that would have set him up with a chance to serve it out but managed to find some joy on the Aussie’s serve late on to seal the first set. Altmaier again raced into a 3-0 lead before rain halted affairs. When they returned, the German had break opportunities in each of the three Hijikata service games. He took the last one which subsequently was a match point, giving the home fans something to celebrate.