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German tennis player Yannick Hanfmann beat veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the quarterfinals of the Mallorca Open on Thursday (June 29). The match was over within a couple of hours, as Hanfmann eased to a victory in straight sets (6-2, 6-4).
However, it was an emotional farewell for Lopez on home soil, as he retired from tennis after the match. The 41-year-old Spaniard won seven singles titles over a career spanning more than two decades.
Hanfmann, meanwhile, looked in good touch against Lopez and will face Adrian Mannarino in the semi-final on Friday (June 30). He should start as the favourite against the Frenchman, having dismissed the top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and now Lopez in his previous matches.
On that note, let us take a look at two things that stood out from Yannick Hanfmann's win over Feliciano Lopez.
#1. Feliciano Lopez exhibited his serve-and-volley style for the last time in a competitive match
Feliciano Lopez, one of the very few exponents of the serve-and-volley tennis left on the tour, stayed true to his style in his last competitive match.
He rushed the net frequently, but his volleys were often not powerful enough to beat Hanfmann’s defence. Still, Lopez managed to show his exquisite touch at times and also hit a few winners off his forehand.
He committed a double fault to gift the German the first break of serve in the match. Hanfmann then hit a stupendous return winner in the seventh game to win it and take a 5-2 lead. He then served out the first set easily.
#2. Yannick Hanfmann’s passing shots kept winning him points
Yannick Hanfmann primarily stayed on the baseline and dictated terms from there with his solid groundstrokes. He took advantage of Feliciano Lopez’s net-rushing and hit quite a few passes to leave the Spaniard stranded.
However, to his credit, Lopez fought better in the second set than he had in the first. Still, the German managed to get the decisive break of serve to take a 3-1 lead. He then maintained the lead for the rest of the match to book a place in the last four.
Adrian Mannarino should be a tougher opponent than Lopez, as he is much younger and prefers to play from the baseline. However, Hanfmann has probably done enough to earn the favourite’s tag for his next match as well as the tournament. It remains to be seen whether he can fulfil the expectations.
