Tournament director Ralf Weber has declared the 18th GERRY WEBER OPEN as “one of the best tournaments in history”: “We have offered the spectators a world class competition with top matches and top stars. And the final between two Wimbledon champions who have been amazing ambassadors of the sport here all week.”

37 years old Martin Damm from the Tschech Republic has entered the GERRY WEBER OPEN doubles final for the second time. Playing with Slovakian Filip Polasek, he beat Johan Brundstrom/Jean-Julien Rojer 6-2, 3-6, 11-9.

For two hours, there was nothing between them; for two hours, the semi-final was wide open. But then the favourite finally breezed through. Lleyton Hewitt beat Benjamin Becker 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.

Philipp Petzschner became the second German to come through the quarter-finals of the GERRY WEBER OPEN as he beat his favourite opponent Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-3 to reach the last four.

The Hewitt express may not have steamed up as early as it did in recent rounds, but in the quarter-final against Andreas Beck, it could no longer be stopped from the tie-break in the first set. The Australian ended up as a clear winner 7-6 (7-0), 6-1.

Roger Federer did not leave Alejandro Falla even a glimpse of a chance in the second round of the GERRY WEBER OPEN as, after just 51 minutes, he completed his second victory at the tournament this year with a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Everything is going so easily for him at the GERRY WEBER OPEN: Philipp Kohlschreiber is in the quarter-finals again at Germany’s only grass court event. He had to survive a few tight situations against Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli, but he gained the upper hand with a 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Lleyton Hewitt showed why he has once triumphed on the sacred grass of Wimbledon with his second round match against Thiemo de Bakker. The former world number one from Australia won 6-3, 6-3 against the Dutchman to send out a clear signal to his rivals: they need to keep an eye on him at the GERRY WEBER OPEN.

Roger Federer made an impressive start to his sixth title tilt at the GERRY WEBER OPEN. In the first round, he beat Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen comfortably 6-4, 6-4. It was his 26th victory in a row on the Halle grass.

Davydenko has spent the last three months sidelined due to injury, which could explain why it took the second-seeded Russian so much effort to beat Germany’s Simon Greul. In the end, he gained the upper hand with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-0 win.

After a wobbly opening, Philipp Petzschner of Germany turned things around to beat Cyprus’ Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-3 to send the second seeded player out of the competition on day one of the GERRY WEBER OPEN.

The 18th GERRY WEBER OPEN has started with a major shock. Lucky Loser Dominik Meffert beat the fourth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 7-5 and is therefore the first name in the last 16.

Roger Federer and the GERRY WEBER OPEN have signed a unique partnership for the remainder of Federer’s playing career. On Sunday, tournament director Ralf Weber and the Swiss signed an agreement which ensures Federer will participate in Germany’s only grass court tournament until he ends his career.

The draw for the 18th GERRY WEBER OPEN has provided tournament favourite Roger Federer with an unpredictable opening opponent. The German participants, meanwhile, have almost all tough tasks ahead of them. Philipp Petzschner faces former Halle finalist Marcos Baghdatis.