KOBLENZ, December 26, 2016
The entry list for the inaugural Koblenz Open has been released. The €43,000 ATP Challenger indoor event will be held at the local Conlog Arena from 15 to 22 January 2017.
The line-up will be led by world number 113 Lukas Rosol from the Czech Republic. The 24-year-old from Brno captured his last Challenger title on home soil in 2014. Back then, he defeated compatriot Jiri Vesely in the final of the Sparta Prague Open.
Four Germans are part of the acceptance list: Tobias Kamke, Benjamin Becker, Cedric-Marcel Stebe and Maximilian Marterer. 18-year-old Florian Broska, World No. 603 Jan Choinski and 21-year-old Benjamin Hassan will be granted a wild card.
Russia’s NextGen star Andrey Rublev is one of a of couple youngsters, who will compete in Koblenz. The 20-year-old from Moscow lifted his maiden Challenger trophy in Quimper in March when he upset Paul-Henri Mathieu in the title match of the Open BNP Paribas Banque De Bretagne.
World No. 149 Duck Hee Lee from South Korea is the first deaf player in the sport’s professional era, who has reached these heights. The 18-year-old captured 10 ITF Future titles as a teenager and will play his only second ATP Challenger event in Europe after he had made it to the second round on clay in Padova, Italy.
20-year-old Laslo Djere eyes a strong start into the new season and wants to clinch his first title at Challenger level. The Serb finished runner-up to Joao Souza of Brazil in the final in Cortina d’Ampezzo in July and lost the final of the clay court Challenger event in Milan to Italian Marco Cecchinato in June. In 2015, he made it to the final in Prostejov, eventually falling to Jiri Vesely.
At 17 years and nine months, Casper Ruud was the youngest winner, claiming his maiden title in Sevilla, Spain, last September. The third Norwegian champion in Challenger history, Ruud became the fourth-youngest player to win on debut. He is currently part of the alternates in Koblenz.
“It was a risk to establish the Koblenz Open, as an ATP Challenger event on European soil during the first week of the Australian Open hasn’t been held for more than 25 years,” tournament director Heiko Hampl explained and added that he is pleased with the entry list. “I would not have expected to see such strong line-up. It is a great mix of top-class players and young guns.”
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Full entry list:
1 ROSOL, Lukas CZE 113
2 KAMKE, Tobias GER 118
3 BECKER, Benjamin GER 119
4 LACKO, Lukas SVK 122
5 DONSKOY, Evgeny RUS 125
6 GIANNESSI, Alessandro ITA 128
7 COPIL, Marius ROU 132
8 GABASHVILI, Teymuraz RUS 138
9 TRUNGELLITI, Marco ARG 146
10 LEE, Duckhee KOR 149
11 ZEMLJA, Grega SLO 155
12 RUBLEV, Andrey RUS 156
13 DE SCHEPPER, Kenny FRA 162
14 LESTIENNE, Constant FRA 165
15 BEMELMANS, Ruben BEL 167
16 STEBE, Cedrik-Marcel GER 167@
17 BRANDS, Daniel GER 168
18 NEDOVYESOV, Aleksandr KAZ 174
19 GAIO, Federico ITA 175
20 MARTERER, Maximilian GER 176
21 DJERE, Laslo SRB 185
22 AREVALO, Marcelo ESA 186
