HAMBURG/STARNBERG, October 24, 2025
The Center Court was packed, the atmosphere electric, and the tennis of the highest quality – Thursday’s action at the Hamburg Ladies & Gents Cup truly lived up to its billing. The match of the day featured a gripping generational battle between rising star Justin Engel and veteran Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, with the 18-year-old coming out on top after a three-set thriller.
The experienced 34-year-old took control early, reeling off five straight games from 0-1 to win the first set 6-2 with composed and tactical play.
Engel Fights Back and Turns the Match Around
In the second set, Engel raised his level, stepping inside the baseline and putting Stebe’s service games under heavy pressure. The left-hander fought off several break points but couldn’t escape at 3-4, when Engel finally converted and leveled the match with a 6-3 set.
The deciding set turned into a nail-biting thriller. Both players held serve confidently, though Engel faced pressure late in the set at 5-6, when he was forced to save several break points to stay alive. With no breaks of serve, the match fittingly went to a third-set tiebreak. There, Engel took an early lead and never looked back, sealing victory 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) after nearly two and a half hours of exciting tennis.
Aiming high in Hamburg
18-year-old Justin Engel battles past Stebe 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) to book his place in the quarterfinals#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/3NWN1lXJgD
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 23, 2025
“My serve really helped me at important moments and gave me confidence early in the games when I got ahead 15:0,” Engel said. “It was tough at the start – Cedrik is a lefty and plays with a lot of angles – but I managed to find my rhythm. I’m just really happy to be through.”
Earlier in the day, Germany’s Tom Gentzsch was the first local player to book a quarterfinal spot on Thursday, though not in the way he would have wanted. His opponent, No. 2 seed Chris Rodesch from Luxembourg, was visibly unwell and retired while trailing 7-5, 3-1.
“It was a good match, and I feel sorry for him. It’s never nice to win that way, but that’s part of the sport,” Gentzsch said afterward.
