“The format is really intense,” Humbert shared after his win. “You have to work on your cardio and play a little bit differently because of the height of the net.”
Ben Shelton also advanced his case for London qualification, narrowly defeating home favorite Jan-Lennard Struff in sudden death, against the big-hitting German.
“I want to apologize for taking out the home favorite here,” Shelton said afterwards. “I haven’t played this format for almost two years, so I hope to do even better for the rest of the tournament.”
Struff regretted his missed opportunities, coming so close to a win against the highest-ranked player in Frankfurt.
“I always feel I play my best tennis in front of the home crowd,” he said. “It was very close, it was unfortunate. In the sudden death, I was a bit unlucky.”
Dominic Thiem had no luck in his penultimate professional tournament, falling in straight quarters to UTS debutant Thanasi Kokkinakis. Lorenzo Musetti also won 3-0, putting on a brutal display against veteran Gael Monfils.
Musetti and Kokkinakis lead their group, with everything still to play for before Super Saturday with eight matches at the Suwag Energie Arena.
“I would give myself a nine,” Musetti said of his performance in Frankfurt. “I felt really good from the beginning. I was a little tense at the end because I know Gael’s abilities, but I’m really happy with the win today.”
Kokkinakis was equally thrilled with his debut, praising the innovative format after his win over Thiem.
“I loved it,” Kokkinakis said. “I’ve watched it on TV and wanted to be a part of it. Thank you for coming out. It’s a lot of fun. It takes away my biggest strength, my first serve, but you’ve got to find ways to win.”
Here’s a summary of each match on day one in Frankfurt:
- Kokkinakis beat Thiem 3-0 (13-9, 14-11, 13-10)
- Shelton beat Struff 3-2 (15-16, 14-12, 17-13, 11-20, 2-0)
- Humbert beat Shapovalov 3-1 (16-11, 11-18, 14-13, 15-13)
- Musetti beat Monfils 3-0 (27-10, 17-12, 22-14)
Busy Saturday awaits in Frankfurt
Day two of the tournament will bring four more matches in the afternoon, before a blockbuster night session with another four clashes that could determine the group leaders. Here’s the order of play for Saturday in Frankfurt:
- 12:30 pm – Kokkinakis v Humbert
- 1:30 pm – Shelton v Musetti
- 2:30 pm – Thiem v Shapovalov
- 3:30 pm – Monfils v Struff
- 6 pm – Kokkinakis v Shapovalov
- 7 pm – Musetti v Struff
- 8 pm – Shelton v Monfils
- 9 pm – Humbert v Thiem
From the very first match on day two, there’s a lot on the line. The winner of Kokkinakis v Humbert will move into the top spot in Group A. If it’s Kokkinakis and he wins 3-0, he’ll secure a spot in the Final Four; if not, the winner will still have a strong chance of qualifying for Sunday’s action, needing to perform well in their third match.
Kokkinakis needs to win UTS Frankfurt to make the UTS Grand Final in December.
In the following match, the top spot in Group B is up for grabs as well, with Shelton facing Musetti. If Musetti wins in straight quarters again, he’ll qualify for the Final Four.
Both Musetti and Shelton need to claim the title in Frankfurt to secure their place in London’s Grand Final.
Monfils, who lost against Musetti, is the only player from the UTS Frankfurt field who has already qualified for the final event of the year thanks to his win in New York last August.
“I played perfectly tactically but I could not get past him,” the Frenchman reflected. “It is tough but I try to give my best on Saturday.”
