Munich. FC Bayern has progressed in the Champions League and Alexander Zverev has reached the quarter-finals of the BMW Open by Bitpanda. With Bayern players Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry in the stands, the defending champion didn't let anything get in the way of his match against Gabriel Diallo. Always in his head, the football experience yesterday in the Allianz Arena: "It was great, we were even allowed down onto the court after the match, the players were all very friendly, we took photos, it was really nice."
There were two breaks in the first set on the centre court of the BMW Open by Bitpanda - 6:1 after just 34 minutes. There was not much for the Canadian in the second set either, Zverev was simply too strong and highly motivated. After just over an hour, the defending champion was through. The result was 6:1 and 6:2: "I won clearly and that's the most important thing for me."
His opponent in the quarter-finals has already been decided - it's Francisco Cerundolo. The Argentinian clay court specialist put in a commanding performance against two-time Munich finalist Botic van de Zandschulp, winning 6:3 and 6:0. For a long time, Cerundolo was something like Alexander Zverev's "opponent of fear". The defending champion has won the last four matches this year and last year, but never a match on clay. That should be exciting: "Clay is his best surface, he's great on it. I have to prepare well for the match, it will be tough for me, but I'm looking forward to the challenge," said Zverev.
Daniel Altmaier was eliminated in the round of 16. And it was a defeat that didn't have to be, because he certainly had his chances against Alex Molcan from Slovakia. Altmaier lost the first set 4:6, in the second he only had to concede defeat in the tie-break (4:6; 6:7 (10)). Alexander Zverev is now the only German player left in the tournament.
Tomorrow is quarter-final day at the BMW Open by Bitpanda. The focus will naturally be on the match between Alexander Zverev and Francisco Cerundolo. But the youngsters' clash, last year's finalist Ben Shelton against Joao Fonseca, is also eagerly awaited by tennis fans. Shelton has become an absolute crowd favourite since his debut last year and is really looking forward to the match: "We'll both have a lot of fun, we're both real entertainers and I'm sure the fans will enjoy the match, and that's exactly why I love this sport." And Joao Fonseca's Brazilian fans have already made their presence felt in recent days - as the loudest in the tournament.
The tournament's number four, Flavio Cobolli, will also play Vit Kopriva from the Czech Republic. And Altmaier conqueror Molcan will face either Denis Shapovalov from Canada or the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (match not yet finished).
The Allianz Para Trophy - now a 500cc tournament - has also started in both the Open and Quad Division competitions. The fact that athletes with restrictions on three or more limbs, i.e. not just in the lower body area, are also allowed to take part in Munich this year is in line with the standard at the Grand Slams. It is also a significant step towards greater inclusion. "We are very proud to be a partner and to promote not only sport, but also equality and to create a bigger stage for the athletes," says Manuel Duhnke, Head of Sponsoring Allianz Germany.
The commitment is well received: wheelchair tennis is developing enormously everywhere. And yet Munich once again stands out internationally. "Compared to other tournaments, everything here is very professional - just like at the ATP tournament," says the world No. 1 in the Quad Division, Niels Vink. The Dutchman lost both legs and several bones in his hands due to an illness - yet he still managed to achieve the "Career Golden Slam" at a young age with all four Grand Slam titles and a gold medal at the Paralympics. Positive words also from Gustavo Ferndandez, world No. 4 in the Open Division: "Of course we're here to win the tournament, but above all we want to put on a good show for the fans."
In addition to the top-class matches on the court, a special training session was also on the programme today. Title partner Allianz organised an exclusive session for children and teenagers, which was led by tournament director Mischa Zverev and national wheelchair tennis coach Niklas Höfken. Everyone involved had beaming faces and lots of fun playing tennis. The aim of introducing the young participants to para-sports in general and wheelchair tennis in particular was a complete success. "It's very important to us to get the next generation interested in para-sports and give them the opportunity to experience their role models live," says Manuel Duhnke.
Stream all matches for free on Joyn
Once again, all matches from centre court can be followed live and free of charge via the streaming app Joyn. Supplemented by highlights, behind-the-scenes and news coverage, viewers will not miss a second of the BMW Open by Bitpanda 2026 there and on ran.de. Both singles semi-finals on Saturday and the singles final on Sunday will also be broadcast live on ProSieben Maxx. As usual, Sky will broadcast all matches on pay TV, while Eurosport will show the first match of the day live from Monday to Friday.
