ORTISEI, November 12, 2019

Peter Gojowczyk opened his title bid at the Sparkasse Challenger Val Gardena Südtirol with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 second-round win over Maximilian Neuchrist of Austria on Tuesday afternoon at the Tennis Club Ortisei.

The No. 5 seed from Germany didn’t face a break point, winning 81 per cent of his first-service points to advance in only 53 minutes. Gojowczyk, who seeking his first trophy since his maiden triumph on the ATP Tour in Metz two years ago, will next take on US-American Maxime Cressy, who edged our Frenchman Baptiste Crepatte 6-1, 7-6(4) in 66 minutes.

Meanwhile, Jan Choinski fought past No. 9 seeded German Oscar Otte. The 23-year-old Koblenz native, who is representing Great Britain, capitalized on two of his four break point chances to secure victory in one hour and nine minutes.

Italian Lorenzo Musetti backed up his first-round win on Monday against Benjamin Hassan by knocking out No. 4 seeded countryman Gianluca Mager. The 17-year-old wild card entry withstood 14 aces from his rival and broke serve two times to advance after one hour and 12 minutes.

Teen-team knocked out in doubles

Later in the evening, teen sensation Jannik Sinner made his first appearance in South Tyrol this week. The 18-year-old reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion teamed up in doubles with 15-year-old Lorenzo Ferri, who also practices at the Piatti Tennis Academy in Bordighera. However, the young guns from Italy fell to the tournament’s No. 2 seeds Sander Arends and David Pel from the Netherlands 6-4, 6-4 in 63 minutes.