OBERHACHING, February 11, 2025
The TennisBase Open ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event kicked off on Tuesday with the first-round matches in both singles and doubles. Among the standout performances were victories by 2022 champion Marvin Moeller and three other German players at the hard-court tournament in Oberhaching, Bavaria, Germany.
World No. 529 Moeller entered his opening match as the clear favorite against Czech Matyas Cerny. However, after being sidelined for nearly four months due to a muscle tear, all eyes were on the 26-year-old Hamburg native to see how he would perform on his return to competition.
Moeller wasted no time settling into the match, securing an early break in the opening game and dictating play with clever shot placement, forcing his opponent into multiple errors. Without facing a single break point, he confidently served out the first set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, as Moeller broke Cerny’s serve in the opening game and maintained full control throughout. A minor lapse came at 5-1, when he dropped his serve, but he quickly recovered with another break to seal a 6-3, 6-2 victory in 82 minutes.
“I felt pretty good on court,” said Moeller. “Getting off to a strong start gave me a lot of confidence. The first match after a long break is always special, but I think I handled it well. I always love coming back to Oberhaching, where the tournament conditions are excellent, and the atmosphere is great.”
In an all-German showdown, Mika Petkovic edged out former TennisBase player Yannik Kelm in a high-intensity baseline battle.
The 18-year-old Petkovic made a strong start, breaking in the fourth game to take a 4-1 lead, but Kelm quickly leveled the score. At 5-6, Kelm served to force a tiebreak but dropped his serve, handing the first set to Petkovic.
With momentum on his side, Petkovic raced to a 2-0 lead in the second set, only for Kelm to break back immediately. Both players held serve for the remainder of the set, with Kelm saving three break points at 2-2. In the decisive tiebreak, Petkovic dominated from the start, clinching a 7-5, 7-6(1) win in just over two hours.
Petkovic now faces a tough Round of 16 clash against No. 3 seed Martin Damm from the United States, who edged out Italian Luca Castagnola 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) in a grueling two-hour, 41-minute battle.
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In one of the most dramatic matches of the day, Adrian Oetzbach from Germany outlasted Italy’s Giovanni Oradini of Italy in a tense three-setter.
The 27-year-old Oetzbach took an early lead with a break, building a 5-2 advantage in the opening set. Though he lost his serve at 5-3, he immediately broke back to claim the first set.
Oradini responded by raising his level, leveling the match and then surging ahead 5-2 in the decider. However, Oetzbach fought back, winning three consecutive games to force a tiebreak. After more than three hours of play, he emerged victorious 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6).
German Niklas Schell put in a commanding performance against Belgian Nicolas Ifi. Utilizing an aggressive game style, the 26-year-old German took control midway through the first set and never looked back.
After 82 minutes, Schell secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory, setting up a meeting with No. 7 seed Iliyan Radulov of Bulgaria, who battled past 19-year-old German qualifier Aaron Funk 7-6(4), 7-5.
It was a disappointing day for Berlin’s Mariano Dedura-Palomero, who failed to replicate his strong performances from last year. Facing Denmark’s Philip Hjorth, the 19-year-old struggled early, quickly falling behind 0-4 and dropping the first set. Though he improved in the second, he continued to make too many unforced errors at key moments, ultimately losing 6-3, 6-4 in 78 minutes.
TUESDAY RESULTS
First Round – Singles
Mika Petkovic (GER) – Yannik Kelm (GER) 7:5, 7:6 (1)
Marvin Moeller (GER)– Matyas Cerny (CZE) 6:3, 6:2
Niklas Schell (GER) – Nicolas Ifi (BEL) 6:4, 6:2
Adrian Oetzbach (GER) – Giovanni Oradini (ITA) 6:3, 4:6, 7:6 (6)
Aaron Funk (GER) – Iliyan Radulov (BUL) 6:7 (4), 5:7
Mariano Dedura-Palomero (GER) – Philip Hjorth (DEN) 3:6, 4:6
Martin Damm (CZE) – Luca Castagnola (ITA) 4:6, 7:6 (5), 7:6 (4)
