Behrmann fights his way to the biggest U18 individual title

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ÖTV’s hope for the future almost doubles in Slovakia.

Thilo Behrmann has struck at the ITF youth level for the fourth time in the last week. But after three ITF J30 tournament victories last year (twice in Addis Ababa and once in Doboj), the great local young talent has now achieved the biggest international U18 individual triumph to date – this time two categories higher. The protégé from the Burgenland Tennis Academy was able to brilliantly win the 2nd Empire Cup U18, an ITF J100 hard court indoor event in Trnava, on Sunday. The fourth-seeded ÖTV ace (ITF 360) defeated the Slovenian Dmitry Suboch (ITF 587) 6:3, 6:7 (0), 6:3 in the final game. A success that ranks high on the hit list with the silver medal won at the European Youth Olympic Games in Maribor 2023.

Behrmann has had to endure some tough battles before. After his 6:3, 6:4 opening win over the Slovakian qualifier Samuel Melaga (ITF 1217), he defeated the Czech Adam Soukup (ITF 442) 6:2, 6:7 (4), 6:4 forced and then put the sixth-ranked Romanian Constantin Radu (ITF 428) in his place with 6:4, 6:1 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he had the better end against the Czech Radek Chodora (ITF 839) with 6:7 (11), 6:3, 6:1 – and he also had a positive outcome in the third three-set thriller in the final. His individual coup is primarily responsible for the fact that since Monday he has appeared in the top 300 of the youth world rankings for the first time as number 284, having only recently turned 16 years old.

The double competition also made a small contribution to the career high. Behrmann came close to achieving the double there. With Sebastian Chodura from the Czech Republic, after two two-set victories in the semifinals, he also eliminated his compatriots Matyas Kozlovsky and Adam Soukop 4:6, 6:3, 10:5. However, the final was ultimately lost by a narrow margin in the match tiebreak against the semi-final conquerors of Manuel Lassacher and Dario Navarro – 6:1, 2:6, 9:11 against the Slovakians Nikolas Paulovic and Tomas Talajka. But the most conciliatory final point was to follow the next day in the individual.