German wild card Justin Engel made history at the Almaty Open in Kazakhstan when he became the first player born in 2007 or later to record an ATP Tour win.
Engel, who turned 17 earlier this month, defeated Coleman Wong 7-5 6-4 to clinch a historic victory on his tour-level debut at the ATP 250 event.
“This year has already been so good for me and now this, it is incredible,” Engel said. “At 17, to be able to win a main draw match is the best feeling I can ever have. I am lost for words.”
In May, Engel won his first ITF World Tennis Tour singles title at M15 Villach in Austria. Aged just 16 years and 231 days. He also reached the quarter-finals at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Spain earlier in October.
Engel is the third player born in 2007 to play on the ATP Tour this year.
India’s Manas Dhamne competed in Pune, while American Darwin Blanch took to court in Miami and Madrid.
Blanch lost to Rafael Nadal in the Spanish capital.
Paula Badosa held off Russia’s Diana Shnaider 4-6 6-3 6-3 in the opening round of the Ningbo Open, China.
The Spaniard completed the victory in two hours and 22 minutes and will face Xiyu Wang in the second round.
Two top seeds withdrew before the start of the event with French Open and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini pulling out with a left foot injury, while American Emma Navarro withdrew due to illness.
At the Japan Open eighth-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto needed a little over three hours to defeat French qualifier Jessika Ponchet 6-4 5-7 7-6 (7-3) in the first round in Osaka.
Cocciaretto saved 14 of 20 break points ands converted six of her 15 break chances in the marathon match, setting up a second-round match with Japan’s Aoi Ito. Ito outlasted former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin 6-2 3-6 7-5.
Norrie returns to action after a two-month injury hiatus
Britain’s Cameron Norrie returns to action after picking up a forearm injury just days out from the Olympics, which forced him out of the entire North American hard-court swing as well as the Davis Cup Finals group stage.
Norrie faces Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm on Tuesday.
“It was an interesting period, I think it was a good realisation that it was a good time to rest,” Norrie told the ATP Tour.
“After six, seven years on the Tour, I didn’t really miss one week through injury. So, I definitely realised that was amazing. To enjoy time with my girlfriend and be a normal person for a little bit was something I haven’t done for a very long time, maybe since college.
“That was nice, for a bit, but then I realised I missed tennis a lot, I missed competing, the emotions of winning or losing. It’s a very steady life (when not competing). I enjoyed it, but I feel ready to compete, ready to battle on the court.”
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in October?
- Almaty Open, Kazakhstan – ATP 250 (October 14-20 – Dan Evans in action)
- Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20 – Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley in action)
- European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
- Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20 – Harriet Dart in action)
- Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20 – Katie Boulter in action)
- Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
- Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TVstreaming service NOW and the Sky Sports appgiving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
