NUSSLOCH, January 26, 2020
Belgian veteran Ruben Bemelmans and Czech teenager Jonas Forejtek will prepare for a battle of the generations, as they will meet in Sunday’s singles final of the Internationale Herrentennismeisterschaften der Metropolregion Rhein-Necker um den MLP Cup 2020.
Thirty-two year-old Bemelmans fought past Julian Ocleppo of Italy in the stage of the final four. The No. 2 seed of the $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event withstood 18 aces from his opponent and broke Ocleppo’s serve two times to secure a 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(3) victory after two hours and 19 minutes.
Earlier on Saturday, Forejtek continued his fine form this week at the Racket Center Nußloch. The 18-year-old from the Czech Republic, the reigning US Open boys’ champion, also had to go the distance against Elmar Ejupovic of Germany. Forejtek fired 17 aces on the carpet and won 78 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and 15 minutes.
Five-time ATP Challenger champion Bemelmans is seeking his 13th title on the ITF Pro Circuit, his second in Nußloch after 2015 and his first since Burlingame, United States in November 2016. Forejtek could lift his second trophy following his maiden triumph as a professional in Vogau, Austria last year. The pair will meet for the first time.
The doubles final also took place on Saturday with Jan Zielinski and Kacper Zuk winning the title. The No. 2 seeds from Poland defeated Johannes Haerteis and Peter Heller from Germany 6-3, 6-4. The encounter lasted 54 minutes.
