ATP Challenger: Maxime Cressy and Jiri Vesely - carpet dancers in Ismaning
While the outside temperatures are slowly sinking and the leaves are falling from the trees, the German tennis halls are getting hot. Over the next three weeks, the ATP Challenger Tour will host three indoor events. In Hamburg and Eckental two tournaments will be held with a prize money of 46,600 euros each. But this week's start will be the Wolffkran Open. Almost 70,000 euros are to be awarded in total in the Bavarian Ismaning. Here, however, waiting for the players in the fight for prize money and 90 ATP World Ranking points for the winner but a special challenge: carpet.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Oct 19, 2019, 10:33 am
By Florian Heer from Ismaning
Carpet as a play surface in international tennis tournaments has become a rarity. While the top players of the 1980s were still able to display their serve-and-volley arts on this ultra-fast underground regularly, the associations are now very critical of the rubber. When the Wolffkran Open celebrated its premiere on the Challenger Tour three years ago, only one particular constellation was the basis for hosting the tournament. The organizers in Ismaning were the only contenders from Europe this week of the Challenger calendar, and so the ATP allowed a return of the carpet, which was believed to be extinct.
"Retro Tennis" in Ismaning
The matches this week in Ismaning seem a little like a journey into the heyday of a Boris Becker or Stefan Edberg, where the rallies were kept as short as possible with strong serves and solid volleyball. A style of play that seems almost tailored to an actor in Ismaning. Maxime Cressy is a pure serve and volley player. The signs are always on the Americans attack, whether its own serve or on the return, where with chip-and-charge tactics immediately the way back to the net is searched.
Cressy is only playing his second full year on the tour. After years of college tennis and a degree from the University of California, the 22-year-old has now ventured into the traveling circus. In January of this year, he won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Cleveland. Since then he was traveling only in North America. Now he has made his way across the pond.
Cressy's carpet premiere
"I'm looking forward to being back in Europe," said the relaxed-looking Cressy after his quarter-final victory over Daniel Masur on record. With his reversed baseball cap and his cheerful attitude, he looks almost like the decal of a US Sonny Boys, surprised, however, to be born with the statement in Paris and to own the US-American and French citizenship.
The fact that the current number 214 of the ATP world rankings in Ismaning seems to feel perfectly well, but also lies on the play surface. "It's my first tournament on carpet. But I already felt at the first match that the surface fits well with my playing style. I'm feeling very good, "says Cressy, emphasizing being highly motivated as a" full-time pro "on the tour.
"The plan was to come to Europe to play a few tournaments here in the hall. When I saw that it was playing on carpet, I grabbed the opportunity and announced it for the tournament. "
Vesely top-set
The number 1 Jiri Vesely in Ismaning is also a profiteer of the fast track. The almost two-meter man seems almost invincible with his powerful serve from the upper floor with its own service. Vesely beat a good 60 aces in his first three matches against Lucas Miedler, Stefano Napolitano and Adrian Menendez Maceiras. But he does not seem completely happy with the underground.
"It is difficult. However, I do not want to complain. I play very well on grass and carpet is very similar, "said the number 120 in the world rankings, which has advanced in Wimbledon after overcoming qualification to the third round and on the way also defeated Alexander Zverev.
A direct duel of the carpet dancers is now in the semifinal, where Vesely and Cressy will meet. And if both of them do not have enough, there's even more chance of playing on the rare underground in the course of indoor swinging in Germany. Also the tournament in Eckental will be played on carpet. Next to Ismaning, the only one on the Challenger Tour worldwide.