NUSSLOCH, January 28, 2016
Top-seed Nils Langer headlined second round action at the $25,000 MLP-Cup, held at the Tennis Center in Nussloch. The world number 211 from Germany, who started his season by playing the qualfication of the Australian Open (lost first round) as well as the ATP Challenger event in Happy Valley (lost second round), continues his strong performance on home soil. Langer cruised past compatriot and qualifier Vincent Jänsch-Müller, winning 6-1, 6-0 in only 52 minutes.
The 26-year-old Ludwigsburg native will take on Alexey Vatutin next, who beat sixth seeded Italian Federico Gaio 7-6, 6-3. The 23-year-old Russian, who started the year in Bangkok playing two ATP Challenger events, broke his opponent’s service five times to advance after one hour and 33 minutes.
The other seed from Italy, number five Alessandro Giannessi, was also knocked out on Thursday. The 25-year-old from La Spezia lost to German qualifier Johannes Haerteis 2-6, 3-6 in an-all-leftie affair. Haerteis won 83% of his first service points and converted three of his seven break chances to prevail in one hour and 15 minutes.
The 19-year-old German will now face third seed Uladzimir Ignatik. The world number 228 from Belarus defeated Jan Choinski 7-5, 6-4. Ignatik hit 10 aces and lost his service only once to seal victory in one hour and 52 minutes.
Fourth seed Maximilian Marterer set a quarterfinals clash with the tournament’s number eight Marek Michalicka. Marterer emerged victorious from the all-German-affair with qualifier Yannick Maden, winning 6-4, 6-1. The 20-year-old from Nuremberg won 81% of his first service points and capitalized on three of his four break point chances to finish the encounter after 72 minutes. Michalicka downed Dutch qualifier Jelle Sels 6-4, 6-3. The 29-year-old Czech is playing his second consecutive tournament on the ITF indoor swing in Germany and reached the second round in Kaarst last week, won 66 of the 117 total points played to prevail in one hour and 12 minutes.
Mats Moraing, who knocked out second seed Jan Mertl in the opening round, continued his wining streak with a 7-6, 6-4 win over fellow German Kevin Krawietz. Moraing fired 11 aces and broke his opponent’s serve two times to reach the stage of the final eight after one hour and 43 minutes. He will face Niels Desein next. The seventh seed from Belgium didn’t face a break point and withstood 12 aces, winning 7-5, 6-2 over German qualifier Tom Schonenberg. The match lasted one hour and 23 minutes.
