A sold-out crowd, over 6,000 spectators on the new Centre Court, plus sunshine and a great atmosphere – the BMW Open by Bitpanda couldn’t have got off to a better start. The fact that the tournament’s number one seed, Alexander Zverev, has progressed to the round of 16 is the icing on the cake. The two-time tournament winner only had trouble against Alexandre Muller from France, ranked 40th in the world, at the start of the match. Zverev took the first set 6–4, then made short work of the Frenchman in the second (6–1), and after just 1 hour and 20 minutes, the 27-year-old was through to the next round – much to the delight of his girlfriend Sophia Thomalla in the stands.
Spectators certainly couldn’t complain about a lack of tennis. The very first match between Miomir Kecmanovic from Serbia and Marcos Giron from the USA lasted just under three hours (2:54). The Serb emerged victorious (6:2; 6:7; 7:6). And rising star Ben Shelton from the USA also gave the spectators plenty to enjoy. The 22-year-old had surprisingly lost the first set to Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo, but fought his way back into the match and ultimately won in three sets (4–6; 7–6; 7–6). The world number 15 had to save two match points in the process. Match duration: 2 hours 24 minutes.
Diego Dedura-Palomero from Berlin has managed to make it into the main draw after all. Aged just 17 and having been awarded a wildcard for the qualifiers, he benefited from the injury-enforced withdrawal of Gael Monfils from France (right foot injury) and slipped into the main draw as the fourth lucky loser. The left-hander certainly stands out, with his bleached hair and Chilean roots. His first-round opponent is Denis Shapovalov from Canada.
The defending champion at the BMW Open by Bitpanda, Jan-Lennard Struff, has set his sights high: “It was very special for me here last year; naturally, it brings back a lot of memories,” said Struff, who surprised everyone last year by winning his first title on the ATP Tour. He’d love to pick up where he left off, but he’s had a difficult few months, with injuries and a real dip in form. However, the almost 35-year-old has never considered giving up: “I play this sport because I love it, and I’m still keen to carry on.” What’s more, Struff added, he’s always prided himself on never giving up. His first-round opponent, however, is not to be underestimated: Francisco Cerundolo, a clay-court specialist from Argentina.