TENNIS NEWS FROM HAMBURG • RARE DISAPPOINTMENT FOR GERMANS • ZVEREV AND KOHLSCHREIBER EXIT IN QUARTERFINALS

By Ricky Dimon

 

The host nation is not used to a whole bunch of losing at the BMW Open in Munich. Germans had won three consecutive titles and five of the past seven heading into this year’s event. There won’t be a fourth straight winner for Germany, as the country’s final two hopes bowed out during quarterfinal action on Friday.

 

Top seed and two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev suffered a 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 upset loss at the hands of a red-hot Christian Garin. After saving three match points in the second set, Zverev had two of his own with Garin serving at 4-5, 15-40 in the third. Nonetheless, the world No. 3 could not cross the finish line and the Chilean held for 5-5, broke easily for 6-5, and then finally managed to serve things out.

 

Three-time Munich champion Philipp Kohlschreiber (2007, 2012, 2016) also bowed out at the hands of an on-fire opponent. Mattero Berrettini, a winner last week in Budapest, ousted the 35-year-old German 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

 

Next up for Berrettini is Roberto Bautista Agut, while Garin is going up against 2018 French Open semifinalist Marco Cecchinato.

 

At the Estoril Open, meanwhile, there were not as many surprises. Both Stefanos Tsitsipas and David Goffin fended off upset bids to set up a semifinal showdown on Saturday. Tsitsipas ended the run of Portugal’s own Joao Domingues, while Goffin battled back from a set down to defeat Malek Jaziri.

 

“I feel like I was much more disciplined than usual,” Tsitsipas explained. “I’m really happy with the victory. I didn’t start very well, but I managed to find my rhythm game by game and broke back when I had to…. I got the break back and then I felt like the momentum was going to me.”

 

The bottom-half semifinal will pit lucky loser Pablo Cuevas against qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.