Following his opening-round victory at the ATP tournament in Halle/Westphalia, Daniel Altmaier spoke positively about his short-term partnership with Dustin Brown. The 27-year-old is counting on the support of a Nadal-beater for the grass-court season.
Professional tennis player Daniel Altmaier (27) spoke positively about his short-term partnership with Dustin Brown following his opening-round victory at the ATP tournament in Halle/Westphalia. “We’ve known each other since I was nine years old,” said Altmaier. “He really enjoys it; it’s just harmonious and it works well.”
The Kempen native has brought Brown onto his team for the grass-court season: “I think the most important thing is to keep developing. I think I’ve taken the right steps this year as well.” A trial period with the 41-year-old is planned initially until the end of Wimbledon.
Tennis: Brown once beat Nadal at Wimbledon
Brown, who beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2015 and was always a crowd favorite during his appearances on Church Road, has already changed quite a bit about Altmaier’s game: “I return much closer to the line; I want to be more aggressive. I think I also have the talent to use the slice effectively and know how to vary the pace. These are the kinds of things where you simply try to have more options tactically,” said Altmaier.
In the warm-up tournament for the grass-court highlight Wimbledon (starting June 29), Altmaier will face either Russian Andrey Rublev (No. 8) or Hubert Hurkacz of Poland in the round of 16. Altmaier heads into the next round with confidence: “I believe I can beat anyone; I’ve already proven that several times. I just have to believe in it.”
