MEERBUSCH, August 18, 2017

Andreas Haider-Maurer headlined Friday’s quarterfinal action at the €43,000 Bucher Reisen Tennis Grand Prix, held at the venue of the GWR Büderich. The Austrian wild card entry knocked out the tournament’s number one and Meerbusch’s defending champion  Florian Mayer 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Haider-Maurer, who missed the entire 2016 season due to injury, sent down four aces, winning 72 per cent of his first service points. He gained the decisive break in the eighth game of the final set and converted his third match point to prevail after just under two hours of play.

“I noticed that Florian was not happy that he couldn’t capitalize on his chances. I just tried to stay in the match and converted my own opportunities in the end,” Haider-Maurer was very pleased afterwards.

The 30-year-old Austrian will next play Karim-Mohamed Maamoun. The lone player from Africa in the singles main draw rallied from a set down to overcome seventh seed Jeremy Jahn from Germany 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes.

Nicoal Kuhn

Spanish teenager Nicola Kuhn continued his great run on the ATP Challenger Tour by reaching his second consecutive semi-final, following his triumph in Braunschweig. The 17-year-old fought past eighth favourite Vaclav Safranek from the Czech Republic 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. Kuhn won 58 per cent of the total points played to secure victory in one hour and 28 minutes.

Kuhn will next challenge compatriot Ricardo Ojeda Lara, who battled past Aleksandr Nedovyesov from Kazakhstan 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 after two hours and 10 minutes.