Cobolli keeps cool to down Altmaier in Hamburg

Flavio Cobolli overcame second-set disappointment to notch a first-round win Monday at the Hamburg Open.

The Italian defeated home hope Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 on his debut at the ATP 500. Cobolli let slip a match point at 6/5 in the second-set tie-break, but held his nerve in the decider to set a second-round meeting with eighth seed Zhang Zhizhen or Thiago Seyboth Wild.

“I’m so happy for the win. I think it’s never easy to play with Daniel, in his country,” said Cobolli after prevailing in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Altmaier. “I don’t think I played a really good match, but it is never easy to come back [to clay] after a month on grass courts. It is a pleasure to play here in Hamburg, on my favourite surface, so I’m really happy for this win and ready for the next round.”

C?BOLLI ??@cobollifla edges Altmaier 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 with tennis like this!@hamburgopenatp | #HamburgOpenATP500 pic.twitter.com/HNMzOCKhiJ

Cobolli is now 6-1 in opening rounds at tour-level clay events this year, with his only first-round defeat coming against Rafael Nadal in Barcelona. The 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF competitor is 20-17 for the year overall.

Despite Altmaier’s defeat, there was a victory for the home fans to cheer on Monday in Hamburg. Maximilian Marterer overcame Soonwoo Kwon 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-5 for his second tour-level win of the season. The 29-year-old lefty next plays fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo, who claimed five service breaks in a 7-5, 6-4 win over fellow Argentine Francisco Comesana, who recently reached the Wimbledon third round.

Laslo Djere fell just short of lifting the Hamburg trophy in 2023, when he reached the championship match before losing to Alexander Zverev. The Serbian began this year’s campaign strongly by defeating Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-6(4).

The 29-year-old Djere converted two of three break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to set a second-round encounter with fifth seed Arthur Fils or Jaume Munar.

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