NUSSLOCH, January 25, 2020

Ruben Bemelmans leads the semi-finals line-up of the $25,000 Internationale Herrentennismeisterschaften der Metropolregion Rhein-Necker um den MLP Cup 2020. The No. 2 seed from Belgium defeated Johannes Haerteis from Germany 6-4, 6-3 on Friday afternoon.

Bemelmans, competing in his first tournament on the ITF Pro Circuit since lifting the trophy in Burlingame in November 2016, sent down nine aces on the carpet of the Racket Center in Nußloch and won 72 per cent of his first-service games to secure victory in one hour and five minutes.

The World No. 260, who clinched the MLP Cup trophy here in Germany in 2015, didn’t drop a set in his previous matches this week against Kacper Zuk of Poland and Adrian Bodmer from Switzerland. Bemelmans is seeking his first trophy since winning the inaugural Koblenz Challenger three years ago. He will next take on Julian Ocleppo. The 22-year-old Italian eased past Jan Satral from the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2 in 65 minutes.

Ejupovic to face Czech young gun

Elmar Ejupovic is the last German left in the singles draw of the $25,000 ITF World Tennis Tour event. The 26-year-old Wolfsburg native beat Frenchman Matteo Martineau 6-1, 6-4. Ejupovic broke his opponent’s serve three times to prevail after one hour and 12 minutes.

“I finished the match well and just played solid tennis,” Ejupovic was pleased with his performance. “Elmar won the match due to his good serve,” his coach Helmut Lüthy added, quoted by the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung. “He also prepared his shots in a very smart way.”

The World No. 536 will next face Czech teenager Jonas Forejtek. The 18-year-old reigning US Open juniors singles champion fought past German veteran Stefan Seifert 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 after two hours and 12 minutes. Forejtek and his partner Dalibor Svrčina also won the 2019 Australian Open boys’ doubles title.