UTS Frankfurt: Near-perfect Musetti and strong Kokkinakis star as day one gets Humbert closer to Grand Final

Shelton, Humbert, Musetti and Kokkinakis were all victorious on Friday in Frankfurt

19 October 2024

Day one of UTS Frankfurt had big ramifications for the Grand Final in London, with four matches completed on an action-packed day at the Suwag Energie Arena in Frankfurt on Friday.

A dominant 3-1 victory for Ugo Humbert against Denis Shapovalov, combined with a point earned during the All Star Game, sees the Frenchman draw within touching distance of qualifying for the UTS Grand Final. “The Commander” now only needs to reach the Final Four to make the event on 6-8 December in London.

“The format is really intense,” shared Humbert after his win. “You have to work on your cardio, and play a little bit different because of the height of the net.”

Ben Shelton also advanced his case for London qualification, cutting it fine against home favourite Jan-Lennard Struff as he won in sudden death against the big-hitting German.

“I want to apologise for taking out the home favourite here,” Shelton said afterwards. “I haven’t played this format for almost two years, so I hope to do even better for the rest of the tournament.”

Struff rued his missed opportunities, coming within inches of winning against the highest ranked player in Frankfurt.

“I always feel I play my best tennis in front of the home crowd,” he said. “It was very close, it was unfortunate. In the sudden death I was a bit unlucky.”

Dominic Thiem had no such luck in his penultimate professional tournament, with the Austrian falling in straight quarters to UTS debutant Thanasi Kokkinakis. Lorenzo Musetti also won 3-0, putting on a brutal display against veteran Gael Monfils.

Musetti and Kokkinakis lead their group, but everything remains on the table before the Super Saturday that will have eight matches played at the Suwag Energie Arena.

“I would give myself a nine,” said Musetti of his performance in Frankfurt.

“I felt really good from the beginning. I was a little bit tense at the end because I know Gael’s abilities but I’m really happy with the win today.”

Kokkinakis was equally thrilled with his debut, praising the innovative format after his win over Thiem.

“I loved it,” Kokkinakis said. “I’ve watched it on TV and wanted to be a part of it. Thank you for coming out. It’s a lot of fun. It takes away my biggest strength, my first serve, but you’ve got to find ways to win.”

Here’s a summary of how each match panned out on day one in Frankfurt:

Kokkinakis beat Thiem 3-0 (13-9, 14-11, 13-10)
Shelton beat Struff 3-2 (15-16, 14-12, 17-13, 11-20, 2-0)
Humbert beat Shapovalov 3-1 (16-11, 11-18, 14-13, 15-13)

Musetti beat Monfils 3-0 (27-10, 17-12, 22-14)

Busy Saturday awaits in Frankfurt

Day two of the tournament will bring four more matches in the afternoon, before a blockbuster night session brings another four clashes that could well determine who tops their groups. Here’s the order of play for Saturday in Frankfurt:

12:30pm – Kokkinakis v Humbert
1:30pm – Shelton v Musetti
2:30pm – Thiem v Shapovalov
3:30pm – Monfils v Struff
6pm – Kokkinakis v Shapovalov
7pm – Musetti v Struff
8pm – Shelton v Monfils
9pm – Humbert v Thiem

From the very first match on day two, there’s a lot on the line. Whoever wins Kokkinakis v Humbert will move into top spot in Group A. If it’s Kokkinakis, and he prevails 3-0, he’ll have booked a spot in the Final Four; if not, whoever wins will still be a strong chance of qualifying for Sunday’s action, still needing to score at their third match.

Kokkinakis needs to win UTS Frankfurt if he’s to make the UTS Grand Final in December.

The following match, the top spot in Group B is up for grabs as well, with Shelton taking on Musetti. Should Musetti deliver another straight quarters win, he’ll qualify for the Final Four.

Both Musetti and Shelton need to claim the title in Frankfurt to book their place in London’s Grand Final.

Monfils, who lost a one-sided clash against Musetti, is the only player from the UTS Frankfurt field who has already qualified for the final event of the year thanks to his win in New York last August.

“I played perfect tactically but I could not past him,” the Frenchman reflected. “It is tough but I try to give my best on Saturday.”