ATP Challenger Koblenz: Fallert and Jebens win double titles
With filigree work and sometimes the necessary hammer toughness - this is how Fabian Fallert and Hendrik Jebens' formula for success can be summarized this week at the Koblenz Open powered by Montabaur. In the end, the two Germans were able to celebrate their first team title at the ATP Challenger Tour tournament, which is endowed with 118,000 euros.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Feb 04, 2023, 07:37 pm
By Florian Heer from Koblenz
With a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory in Saturday's doubles final over number four seed Jonathan Eysseric of France and Ukraine's Denys Molchanov, Fallert and Jebens are close to entering the top 100 in the ATP World Rankings. We spoke to the two happy winners afterwards.
Tennisnet: Congratulations on winning the title! I think one can speak of an all-round successful tournament week?
Fabian Fallert: Definitely. Our opening match was already very close when we lost the first set against the Indians N. Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. But as so often in tennis, when you seem to have one foot out of the tournament, you can still walk in the end. It's been a great week. After that we won all our games easily.
Fabian, you have already won two Challenger Tour titles (with Victor Vlad Cornea in Forli 2022). For Hendrik it was the first success, equivalent to your first team title on the pro circuit.
Fallert: We have already contested a few finals together, but unfortunately we always lost. That's why this triumph is something special for us and of course it tastes special.
What made the difference in the final today?
Hendrik Jebens: We are very well attuned and were able to free ourselves from critical situations. There were a lot of contested points, but the atmosphere here is also very cool. Playing in front of a home crowd on Center Court is always a highlight. Those are the moments you train your whole life for. That gave us an extra push. Winning my first Challenger title also broke a mental barrier.
The Koblenz Open has returned to the tournament calendar after 2020. Is this your first time playing here?
Jebens: Yes, actually. I followed the premiere of the Koblenz Open 2017 from the lecture hall via live stream. (laughs) I was here when I was a junior though. But this week there was already time for one or two visits to the city.
In the past weeks and months you have also started with changing partners.
Fallert: We've actually played every event together since the second half of last season. Exception: someone was sick or injured. At the beginning of this year it didn't come about because I was in Australia and Hendrik had to look for other partners during this time. However, the goal is to play together in the future. This is extremely important for sharing experiences and developing routines. After all, double matches can only be won as a team.
You should also get along well off the pitch...
Jebens: That definitely helps. The chemistry off the pitch is then brought onto the court. We've both known each other for a very long time. I come from Stuttgart, Fabian from Reutlingen. I trained with his brother at the Florian Fallert Tennis Academy for many years. You can then say things to each other more honestly than if you only play together for a week or two. We're both very open about that. It's starting to pay off and we're going to stick with it.
You are about to enter the top 100 in the world rankings. Is that also the goal for the season?
Fallert: We played our first full Challenger season in 2022 and now we want to take the next step, come on the ATP tour and compete in Grand Slam tournaments. We train for this every week and then we see what comes of it. Our next tournaments are in Bahrain, Rovereto and Pau. Now it's time to take the legendary momentum there with you.
How would you describe your playing style? What are your strengths and what do you need to work on?
Jebens: I'm the more brute of the two of us (laughs).
Fallert: He is also called “The Hammer” (laughs).
Jebens: Fabian has a more delicate style of play, good at the net with quick reactions.
Fallert: That's why we complement each other so well. His strong baseline game then gives me the opportunity to fish the balls away with my volleys on the net. Of course there is still a lot to improve. The work never stops.
You both come from college tennis too. How did this experience help you on tour?
Jebens: I went to the University of Mississippi and Fabian to San Diego State. In the USA, a lot of value is placed on doubles tennis. That's why you get a very good education there. This played a big role when we decided to go this route. Andreas Mies or Tim Pütz have done it. Of course, it is also our goal to get there and perhaps be able to follow in their footsteps.
Then we wish you continued success and thank you for the interview.