MELBOURNE, January 11, 2019

German teenager Rudolf Molleker, who was scheduled to play the first ATP Challenger event of the season on home soil in Koblenz, will stay in Australia for at least a couple of more days. The 18-year-old qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in his career at this year’s Australian Open.

Another German prodigy?

18-year-old Rudolf Molleker is into the main draw of #AusOpen 2019 after showing out in qualifying 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LMZW2w4SPD

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) 11. Januar 2019

Molleker saved two match points in the final round of the qualifying to overcome compatriot Oscar Otte 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. The World No. 207, who clinched his maiden ATP Challenger crown in Heilbronn last year, is the only out of 14 German players to qualify for the Happy Slam. Dustin Brown, Mats Moraing and Antonia Lottner lost their matches in the final stage. Molleker will face No. 18 seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina in the first round down under.