Kohlschreiber Leads Germans In Munich; Monfils Beaten

Four Germans, led by three-time former champion Philipp Kohlschreiber, delighted Munich fans with first-round victories on Tuesday by the BMW Open at FWU.

Sixth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber was solid on serve and withstood 15 aces from Ivo Karlovic of Croatia for a 7-5, 6-4 victory in 76 minutes. The three-time former champion — 2007 (d. Youzhny), 2012 (d. Cilic) and 2016 (d. Thiem) — won 83 per cent of his first-service points against 39-year-old Karlovic and now challenges fellow German Mischa Zverev, who beat Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria 6-4, 6-3 in 72 minutes.

Jan-Lennard Struff knocked out compatriot and qualifier Daniel Masur 7-6(1), 6-4 in 87 minutes for a clash against another German, Yannick Maden.

Maden saved two match points at 7/8 and 8/9 in the second set tie-break to defeat eighth seed Yuichi Sugita of Japan 4-6, 7-6(9), 6-2 in two hours and 54 minutes. Maden needed seven set points to clinch the second set.

Elsewhere, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Mirza Basic knocked out seventh seed Gael Monfils of France 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in one hour and 37 minutes. World No. 90 Basic, winner at the Diema Xtra Sofia Open (d. Copil) in February, won 12 of the first 15 points in the deciding set. He will next play Slovakia’s Martin Klizan, the 2014 champion.

Did You Know?

Six different Germans have won the Munich crown since 1974, including Jurgen Fassbender (1974), Rolf Gehring (1980), Michael Stich (1994), Kohlschreiber (2007, 2012, 2016), Tommy Haas (2013) and Alexander Zverev (2017).