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German star looks to build on recent successes ahead of Diema Xtra Sofia Open
After a stellar end to 2017 and a breakthrough performance at this year’s Australian Open, Maximilian Marterer looks set to be the next German tennis star to break through on the ATP World Tour.
The 22-year-old German won 21 of his 23 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour in September and October to secure three titles, before announcing himself on the world stage with a run to the third round at this year’s Australian Open.
Currently at a career-high No. 82 in the ATP Rankings, Marterer made his intentions clear when asked, ahead of his first-round match against Malek Jaziri at this week’s Diema Xtra Sofia Open, whether he had any goals after breaking into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings late last year.
“I think [setting goals] should never stop,” said Marterer. “The next goal is, at the end of this year, to get to the Top 50.”
The determined left-hander is the second-youngest of eight German players currently in the Top 100 and, as one of the emerging stars in a leading tennis nation, has the benefit of a wealth of experienced compatriots to seek advice from when practising at home in Bavaria.
“We are always practising together so it is good to have them around and get advice from them. There are many experienced players like Florian Mayer and also sometimes Philipp Kohlschreiber there working with us. They are world-class players and have been in the business a long time, so it is good to have them around you,” said Marterer.
Marterer won his first two tour-level matches at the Australian Open last month, with a strong win over fellow German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe before taking out 2009 semi-finalist Fernando Verdasco in a thrilling five-set triumph.
The run came to an end at the hands of fellow breakout star Tennys Sandgren in the third round, but Marterer had plenty of reasons to feel confident that his week in Melbourne was the start of a successful career on the ATP World Tour.
“It was very special for me to get the wins in a Grand Slam,” reflected Marterer. “I think I found a good way of playing my game in these matches and how to win the points.
“I played a really strong match; especially in the fifth set [against Verdasco]. The conditions were really tough, on one of the hottest days of the two weeks, so in the end I was really, really happy to win that match. It was great to see that physically I am fit for five sets against such a top player.”
That confidence and knowledge, gained in Melbourne, looks likely to help Marterer as he continues his quest to end the year inside the world's Top 50. Next stop: Sofia.

Two-time semi-finalist Thiem completes two-day victory
Germany’s Maximilian Marterer caused an upset at Roland Garros on Thursday in an all-lefty match against #NextGenATP Canadian star Denis Shapovalov, the 2017 ATP Most Improved Player of the Year.
Shapovalov led by a set and 3-0, but Marterer fought back to triumph 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-5, 6-4 for a place in the third round of a Grand Slam championship for the second time (also 2018 Australian Open).
Shapovalov, the No. 24 seed, who like Marterer had been making his Roland Garros debut this year, struck 14 winners and lost just one of his first service points in the 45-minute opener. Although he won the first three games, the 19-year-old he was forced to save three break points. He ended his 31st match of the year (18-13 record) with 82 unforced errors.
“I went up a set and a break, feeling good, [but then] I let him back into the match a little bit,” said Shapovalov. “After that, I was struggling a little bit with my serve. I could have served much better. But aside from that, I feel like that was the only real difference between us today. We both played really well off the ground. He's playing really good tennis, especially in the big points today. Credit to him, if he keeps playing like this, I'm sure he can go far.”
World No. 70 Marterer, who reached this month’s BMW Open by FWU semi-finals (l. to Kohlschreiber), tightened up his serve and waited for the error — breaking twice in the second set, then in the final games of the third and fourth sets — for the second Top 30 win of his career.
“The plan was to serve well and be tough in my service games, so that he didn’t get too many chances to break," said Marterer. "That was key today. He plays with a really heavy, heavy forehand, so I tried to keep [the ball] a little on his backhand. I think I managed [the plan] really well after losing first set, especially. It was good that I could raise the quality of my return, so he also had some problems in his service games after this.”
Marterer will next challenge Estornian lucky loser Jurgen Zopp, who recovered from two sets down to beat Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 35 minutes.
Shapovalov reached his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to A. Zverev), after winning the first tour-level clay-court match of his career earlier in the week.
Thiem
Just more than a month ago, No. 7 seed Dominic Thiem lost to #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in 80 minutes at Barcelona. At the time, it was the Austrian’s third loss of the season on clay in which he won five games or less, a shocker for one of the best clay-court players in the world.
But the two-time Roland Garros semi-finalist got his revenge against Tsitsipas on Thursday. Despite the match getting suspended Wednesday evening after taking a two-sets-to-one lead, Thiem finished off the Greek 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the third round for the seventh consecutive Grand Slam.
“It was a very good match,” said Thiem. “The key was, for sure, that I went home yesterday with a one-set lead. It was really important. The first set today was very, very good tennis from me. I was very focused.”
Thiem will next face Italian Matteo Berrettini, who has won his first two Grand Slam main draw matches this year on the Parisian terre battue. The World No. 96 has played just one match against a Top 10 opponent, a loss earlier this month against Alexander Zverev. This will be his first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Thiem.
Lucas Pouille also completed victory in a second-round match carried over from Wednesday. The No. 15 seed, who led two sets to one overnight, delighted French supporters on Philippe-Chatrier Court when he defeated Cameron Norrie of Great Britain 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(3) in two hours and 43 minutes. He will now prepare to meet Russia’s Karen Khachanov.