Yannick Hanfmann channelled the support of the home fans to pull off an early upset on Tuesday at the BMW Open by Bitpanda in Munich.
The 33-year-old German wild card defeated Jakub Mensik 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 in Munich to halt the fast-rising #NextGenATP star’s recent momentum. Mensik was competing in his first match since beating Novak Djokovic to clinch his maiden ATP Tour title last month in Miami, but Hanfmann kept his cool to seal his win after earning the only break of the deciding set in the second game.
A former No. 45 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Hanfmann has struggled for consistency across the past 18 months and entered his clash against Mensik with a 2-5 tour-level record for 2025. Yet despite stepping on court against Mensik as the World No. 131, he delivered a classy performance to snap his 19-year-old’s opponent’s six-match winning streak.
“It means a lot. Coming off kind of a rough stretch of matches,” said Hanfmann, who previously lived in Munich for six years. “I knew the level was there, but you never know when it’s going to click, when it’s going to come. It came in Munich today. I know that I like the conditions here, so also grateful to the tournament for giving me the opportunity with the wild card. Amazing feeling.”
His reward for his first Top 50 win on clay in eight attempts is a second-round meeting with Tallon Griekspoor.
Mariano Navone also sprung an upset against a seeded opponent on Tuesday in Munich. The Argentine downed Felix Auger-Aliassime 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3) for just his second Top 20 win in 10 attempts.
Navone rallied from a break deficit in both sets to seal his three-hour, two-minute triumph on his Munich debut. Awaiting the 24-year-old in the second round will be David Goffin.
Navone’s countryman Francisco Cerundolo ensured Jan-Lennard Struff’s Munich title defence was short-lived. The fifth seed powered to a 6-0, 6-2 triumph to set a meeting with Alexander Shevchenko, who downed Bucharest champion Flavio Cobolli 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4.
Botic van de Zandschulp was also a three-set winner in Munich on Tuesday lunchtime. The Dutch lucky loser downed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to advance to face second seed Ben Shelton. Meanwhile Luciano Darderi, competing for the first time since he won his second ATP Tour crown in Marrakech earlier this month, extended his winning streak to six matches with a 7-6(3), 7-6(3) triumph against Christopher O’Connell.
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