CADOLZBURG/STARNBERG, January 14, 2026
The third edition of the Cadolzburg Open continued on Wednesday with the completion of all remaining first-round matches in singles and doubles at the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event, offering a full day of high-quality tennis at the Tennis-Center Schwadermühle.
The standout match of the day turned into a gripping three-hour-plus epic, as Hessian Calvin Mueller edged past Kai Wehnelt of Berlin after saving a match point. Seeded No. 8, Wehnelt—part of Germany’s victorious United Cup team in 2024 alongside Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber—faced a stern challenge from Mueller, who claimed his only ITF Pro Circuit title to date on carpet, the same surface used in Cadolzburg.
Mueller started aggressively, using powerful groundstrokes to race to a 3–0 lead and close out the opening set 6–3. Wehnelt responded with improved variety and resilience, pushing the second set into a tense tiebreak, which he eventually clinched 11–9 on his sixth set point. The drama peaked in the deciding-set tiebreak: Wehnelt surged ahead 5–2 and held a match point, but Mueller held his nerve and converted his fourth match point to seal a remarkable 6–3, 6–7(9), 7–6(9) victory.
“It was incredibly close and could have gone either way,” Mueller said. “Even though I don’t see myself as a big server, I feel very comfortable on carpet and I’m delighted that I could bring such a high level to the court today.”
In an all-German clash, Louis Wessels prevented a comeback from qualifier Moritz Hoffmann. The No. 5 seed dominated early with strong serving to take the first set 6–1. Hoffmann raised his level in the second, earning two set points in the tiebreak, but Wessels held firm to secure a 6–1, 7–6(6) win in 79 minutes.
Last year’s semifinalist Aaron Funk narrowly missed out on another deep run. The 19-year-old from Renningen fought back impressively against fourth seed Loann Massard of France after dropping the first set. Funk levelled the match quickly, but Massard edged a closely contested deciding-set tiebreak to advance 6–4, 1–6, 7–6(4) after two hours and 11 minutes.
Several Davis Cup representatives were also in action. Luxembourg’s Alex Knaff overcame a spirited performance from 17-year-old wildcard Arian Barbic, winning 7–6(4), 6–3. Denmark’s Oskar Poulsen, called up to the national team following Holger Rune’s Achilles injury, defeated Niklas Schell 6–3, 7–5. Meanwhile, Syria’s Hazem Naw suffered a tough loss to Sweden’s Nikola Slavic, falling 7–5, 7–6 after nearly two hours.
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
Singles First Round
Calvin Müller (GER) def. Kai Wehnelt (GER) 6–3, 6–7(9), 7–6(9)
Louis Wessels (GER) def. Moritz Hoffmann (GER) 6–1, 7–6(6)
Loann Massard (FRA) def. Aaron Funk (GER) 6–4, 1–6, 7–6(4)
Alex Knaff (LUX) def. Arian Barbic (GER) 7–6(4), 6–3
Oskar Poulsen (DEN) def. Niklas Schell (GER) 6–3, 7–5
