Tennis pro Yannick Hanfmann managed a surprise in preparation for Wimbledon.
The 31-year-old from Karlsruhe celebrated a 6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 2 win over the Greek defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas at the grass tournament in Mallorca. Tsitsipas is number five in the world, Hanfmann had never defeated such a high-ranked professional.
The success was “very special,” said Hanfmann: “I haven’t had top ten wins that often in my career. That’s why it’s a nice win, especially on grass. I feel good on grass. I have played a great match.”
First quarterfinals on grass
Hanfmann reached a quarter-finals on the ATP tour for the twelfth time, for the first time on grass. In the round of the top eight in Santa Ponça, the man from Karlsruhe meets the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez on Thursday. “The boy can play. He’s an uncomfortable one on grass,” Hanfmann said of the 41-year-old Lopez. “If I keep playing well, I’ll get my chances.”
After a good few weeks, Hanfmann is currently in the top 50 in the world rankings for the first time and is in 48th place. He is preparing for Wimbledon in Mallorca. The third Grand Slam tournament of the season begins Monday and runs through July 16.