HAMBURG, July 29, 2018
Nikoloz Basilashvili is the champion of the 2018 German Tennis Championships. The qualifier from Georgia beat two-time Hamburg winner Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final.
Basilashvili won five points less than his opponent in another topsy-turvy encounter but gained the decisive break in the 11th game of the final set to serve the match out in the following. After finishing runner-up in Kitzbühel 2016 and in Memphis last year, the 26-year-old Tbilisi native captured his first title on the ATP World Tour.
Brilliant Basilashvili!
The Georgian 🇬🇪 qualifier secures a first ever #ATPWorldTour singles title after beating Leonardo Mayer 6-4 0-6 7-5 in Hamburg#GOTC18 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/sXutbd1naE
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) 29. Juli 2018
Basilashvili takes away €349,200 in prize money as well as 500 ATP-Ranking points. A place inside the top 50 will be guaranteed on Monday.
“I am really tired right now,” Basilashvili said during his on-court interview after the two hours and 12 minutes fight. “I played seven matches here and gave everything. It is an unbelievable moment for me.”
Basilashvili has made history becoming the first player of his country to secure an ATP World Tour title. He also dedicated the trophy to his new coach Jan de Witt.
“We’ve been working for around two months. My goal was to be a better tennis player, to learn a lot of things from him and I think he is also a really calm person off the court. So, I think we are matching so far really good and
I’m really happy to be working with him. He teaches me small things. We’ve been taking our work step by step. I think his experience is paying off for me now and we are doing so far really good.”
Peralta/Zeballos win Hamburg, Marach/Pavic qualify for London
Earlier in the day, Julio Peralta of Chile and Horacio Zeballos from Argentina clinched the doubles title. The South-Americans fought past the tournament’s top seeds Oliver Marach of Austria and Mate Pavic from Croatia 6-1, 4-6, 10-6. The final lasted one hour and 23 minutes.
Doubles finalists in Hamburg (photo: Florian Heer)
“We have been playing two amazing tournaments now. I am really happy to play with him,” Peralta said after lifting the second trophy of the season. The pair also won the title in Bastad last week.
Marach and Pavic have become the first team to clinch their spot in the Nitto ATP Finals. “It’s a big thing and we have qualified quite early,” said Pavic.
“For me it is the best tournament in the world and I am really looking forward to return to London this year,” Marach added. “We will next play in Washington and hope for some more good results at the bigger tournaments in the meantime.” Marach and Pavic have already won three tournaments this season, highlighted by the triumph at the Australian Open.
Stich’s final day in Hamburg
Michael Stich has been serving as the tournament director of the ATP-500-event for 10 years. Sunday was his final day in this role.
Michael Stich
“After my time as a pro, this was certainly one of the nicest tasks because I was close to tennis and to the tournament,” Stich said.
“We have come full circle. As a kid I was a spectator, as a player I started in qualifying and won the tournament later. As the tournament director, I was able to help ensure that the Rothenbaum tradition continues.”
About the event’s future Stich said: “The likelihood that the tournament will take place on another date is extremely low within the next five years. It’s also to 99.9 per cent unlikely that this tournament will switch to hard-court on that date.”
