Teenager Justin Engel Reaches Stuttgart Open Quarter-Finals

Stuttgart, Germany – Seventeen-year-old Justin Engel made history on Thursday by reaching the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Open. With this achievement, he became the youngest player since Boris Becker, 40 years ago, to advance to the last eight in an ATP Tour grass-court tournament.

Engel, who received a wildcard entry into the tournament, triumphed over American seventh seed Alex Michelsen with a score of 6-4, 6-4. This victory marks an impressive week for the young German player.

Prior to this match, Engel became the second youngest player since 1990 to win an ATP Tour match on all three surfaces: grass, clay, and hard court, following in the footsteps of tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

Engel’s performance echoes that of former compatriot Becker, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon at the age of 17 in 1985 and went on to win the title that same year.

Next up for Engel is a match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.

Meanwhile, in another match, top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany also advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Frenchman Corentin Moutet in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (9-7). Zverev commented on his performance, saying, “I prefer to win 6-2, 6-2, but you can never choose these kind of things. In the end I won and that’s the most important thing.”

Despite finding the match challenging, Zverev expressed satisfaction with his win, acknowledging, “I honestly think it was a very average match. I made it complicated, but a win is a win and I’m happy to play tomorrow again.”