ATP Tour

Buse upsets defending champ Cobolli in Hamburg; Top seed Auger-Aliassime wins

Ignacio Buse brought Flavio Cobolli’s title defence at the Bitpanda Hamburg Open to a sudden halt on Tuesday, when the qualifier notched his second career win over a Top-20 opponent.

Competing at a career-high No. 57 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Buse continued his breakthrough season with a polished 6-2, 7-5 victory over World No. 12 Cobolli in one hour and 31 minutes. The 22-year-old Peruvian was crisp and composed throughout, striking 16 winners and never once facing a break point, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I knew I could win,” Buse said when asked about his expectations before the match. “The level is very similar and if I have a good day, I think I could compete. I tried to go out convinced, and it worked.

“I think I played very good. I was very comfortable. Flavio didn’t have a great match, but it’s difficult to play these matches against the top players. I’m very happy with the win, but I have to prepare for tomorrow now.”

Buse, who is making his debut at the ATP 500 event in Hamburg, can now turn his attention to a second-round meeting with Jakub Mensik. The 22-year-old has now collected 15 of his 16 tour-level wins on clay, a surface that continues to suit his heavy topspin game, including a notable run to the semi-finals in Rio de Janeiro back in February.

Having also claimed ATP Tour wins in Marrakech, Madrid and Rome, Buse owns an 8-8 tour-level record in 2026. Cobolli, who won his first ATP 500 trophy in Hamburg last year, will head to Roland Garros down two spots to No. 14 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

Top seed and last year's semi-finalist Felix Auger-Aliassime also got his campaign up and running Tuesday by easing past Vit Kopriva 7-5, 6-1. After a tightly contested opening set, the 25-year-old Canadian pulled clear with bruising ball striking to overwhelm Kopriva and notch a 84-minute victory.

Auger-Aliassime struggled with a leg issue in his opening defeat to Mariano Navone in Rome 10 days ago, but he appeared fit and firing upon return to Hamburg. The World No. 5 is now 14-2 in opening rounds since the start of August last year.

"You must have a smile on your face when you win," Auger-Aliassime said after his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Kopriva. "On this Tour, there are tough matches, tough weeks, so every win matters. I didn't know my opponent too well. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I needed to be ready for a high level from him."

Auger-Aliassime will next meet lucky loser Aleksandar Kovacevic, who made the most of his second chance. Kovacevic fell to Arthur Gea in the second round of qualifying, but the American earned revenge with a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory when the pair met in the first round of the main draw.