BRUNSWICK, July 3, 2015
The third Grand Slam tournament of the season in Wimbledon led to a couple of changes in the main draw at the € 106,500 ATP Challenger Sparkassen Open in Brunswick, taking place from July 4 to 11.
World number 37 Pablo Andújar is still playing at the All England Championships in London and cannot accept his granted wild card. The invitation will go to Daniel Brands. Tobias Kamke also made it into Brunswick’s main draw, which means that eight Germans will serve on home soil next week.
Germany’s biggest talent and current world number 74 Alexander Zverev will be seeded third. The 18-year-old won the tournament last year. “Of course I want to defend my title, but it will be very difficult, as there will be a very strong field in Brunswick again. It is one of the biggest Challengers in the world. Last year’s victory was very important for me and I will always remember it very well. It was the beginning for a great tennis summer 2014 and it gave me a lot of confidence. I learned that I am able to hold the pace at this kind of level,” Zverev told, who will also play the doubles competition alongside his brother Mischa.
Alexander Zverev lifted his second Challenger trophy this year in Heilbronn
After his triumph in Brunswick last year, the German teenager made it into the top 300 for the first time and reached the semi-finals at the German Open in Hamburg. In May 2015, Zverev claimed his second ATP Challenger title, winning on the red clay in Heilbronn. In the meantime, the German talent has established within the top 100 and is Germany’s third best ranked player behind Philipp Kohlschreiber and Benjamin Becker. Former world number one Rafael Nadal told in an interview that Zverev would be a possible Grand Slam champion in the future.
“Of course I am flattered, when Rafa is speaking about me in such a positive way. He is a true champion. I will do my very best to achieve as many good results as possible. Winning a Grand Slam tournament is incredibly difficult. Nonetheless, I will still working hard in the future,” the 18-year-old promised.
