Another match well managed by Hanfmann?

The German is rarely dominant, but he’s still very solid in altitude conditions.

Tricky first round for Hanfmann, who had to save several set points against the local Neumayer before stepping it up and finally winning with a decent little margin. He finished with a bunch of aces and left a strong impression in terms of level of play. Yes, he could and even should have lost the first set because he started slowly, but I think he still would have gone on to win in three sets. The match-up was rather favorable for him in the sense that Neumayer doesn’t return particularly well. He stands really far back, but that gives Hanfmann lots of angles, and Hanfmann knows how to come to the net and hit hard into open space. The German is up and running now, maybe he’ll be less slow out of the blocks and win more easily?

I’m going to stay cautious, because on the other side, Trungelliti is playing great tennis this year and is still tough to beat. He just crushed JM Cerondolo in a match that wasn’t really a match, as Cerondolo was exhausted from last week. Since his game depends heavily on his physical condition, Trungelliti just did his job. He didn’t serve that well, with a few double faults; that’s already a recurring issue for him, and I don’t think the altitude really helps with that. He doesn’t fully control what he’s doing and that could come back to bite him. He’s a player who returns very well and is smart, but it’s not as straightforward in conditions this fast. I still get the feeling this is once again a match that’s on Hanfmann’s racket, and that if he stays focused in what he’s doing, the match is his to lose.

Trungelliti has already beaten Hanfmann in their only meeting last year in Rio de Janeiro. But the conditions have nothing to do with those here. It’s very humid over there and not fast, unlike Kitzbühel where it’s dry and ultra-fast at altitude. Let’s say this clay suits Hanfmann a lot better and he could simply set the record straight, but Trungelliti won’t go down without a fight.