It was a day of contrasting victories for the top-ranked players at the Koblenz Open. World No. 83 Luca Nardi cruised past Jelle Sels of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4 in 88 minutes. In contrast, Henri Squire had to fight tooth and nail to overcome Bulgarian lucky loser Dimitar Kuzmanov. The top-seeded Düsseldorf native found himself down a set and a double break but mounted a remarkable comeback to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory after two hours and 11 minutes.

“I’m just glad to have pulled it off,” said Squire, who will face either Max Wiskandt or Abdullah Shelbayh in the second round of the ATP Challenger Tour 100 tournament.

Smashing through ⏭️

Luca Nardi defeats Sels 6-3, 6-4 to move into Koblenz’s second round #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/Ng3qmrrLRN

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) January 28, 2025

Earlier on Tuesday, Max Rehberg began his Koblenz Open campaign with a solid performance against Ukraine’s Oleg Prihodko. The Munich-based player triumphed 6-4, 6-4 and reflected positively: “It was a good start to the tournament. I’ve worked extremely hard in preparation and am just enjoying my tennis at the moment.”

Commenting on the large contingent of young German participants, the 21-year-old joked, “It feels a bit like a class reunion, though honestly, I already feel a bit old.” Rehberg’s next challenge will be against Frenchman Ugo Blanchet.

Christoph Negritu also secured a hard-fought victory in a thrilling two-hour-and-21-minute match against Dutch lucky loser Ryan Nijboer, who replaced Francesco Maestrelli at the last minute. A double fault from Nijboer sealed Negritu’s 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory, prompting the German to break into a celebratory salsa dance on the packed Lotto RLP Court. Negritu praised the electric atmosphere, likening it to a “bullfighting arena” and adding, “Moments like that make your legs feel a little lighter.”

Rudolf Molleker, however, was defeated by Swiss lucky loser Jakub Paul, who only learned of his spot in the main draw 15 minutes before the match. Paul initially raced ahead, taking a set and a double break lead, but had to endure a second-set tiebreak before sealing the match on his second match point. He will now face another German, Daniel Masur, in the next round.

There was disappointment for young German talent Justin Engel, who struggled in his opening match against Mika Brunold from Switzerland. Engel was unable to find his rhythm, particularly on his forehand, and fell 6-1, 6-2 in just 62 minutes. The day ended with an all-Italian clash between Giulio Zeppieri and Federico Arnaboldi, with Zeppieri securing a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory.