Daniel Altmaier is ‘feeling positive’ ahead of his first round showdown with Jannik Sinner in Vienna on Wednesday night.
The German is preparing to face Sinner for the fourth time in his career and the second time in the space of 18 days.
It was a 6-3 6-3 defeat for Altmaier in Shanghai and now the German is aiming to stop the Italian’s bid to end the year as world number one.
Ahead of the clash in Austria Altmaier is feeling quite positive about the meeting as he searches for revenge, “Honestly, I am very positive about it,” Altmaier told the ATP website.
“I’m always really looking forward to having revenge as soon as possible. I’m that kind of guy who really loves the challenge of revenge, so something like that always gets the best out of me. I’m really looking forward to that match.
“Obviously, playing against those big guys comes with playing in front of big crowds. Having a lot of German supporters here in Vienna too… To be honest, I’m looking forward to it.”
Defeating Jannik Sinner takes a lot of risk, guts and resilience as it’s one of the most difficult challenges in the sport.
However, before Sinner had his rise to the top Altmaier defeated him in the 2023 Roland Garros campaign.
Reflecting on the win Altmaier admitted it was a great win but is now looking to see where he can improve against a much better Sinner, “It was a great win, this one,” Altmaier suggested to the ATP website.
“[But since then] he definitely became a consistent player who has dominated the Tour with Carlos [Alcaraz], which is a fact. I think you have to respect that, and I really like seeing what other guys do with their game to become that consistent. I’m someone who really looks left and right to see and pick the best things for me.
“I think I have different game styles that I am really working on currently to become a better player. One is an aggressive side, and the other is a little bit more patient. The mental side is really crucial also. One aspect [with this match] is that we are at the end of the year, so it is mentally more challenging.
“I’m going to sit down with my team and see which tactic is best to get into the match. Also as the match develops, we are going to adjust.”
Since defeating Sinner in Paris, Altmaier has lost on two consecutive occasions and faces a tough challenge in order to prevent the Italian’s late season charge.
However, Altmaier is on a late season charge of his own as he is four spots off from his career high ranking.
The German reflected on his season and how he has developed as a player, “I developed a lot as a player this year, on the mental side and the personal side, but have been winning more matches and have become more consistent,” Altmaier claimed.
“I also had my challenges throughout the year. Changes in my team, which had a big effect on me, but I think I’m happy to be in this position, close to my best ranking, and there is only, for the next three or four months, the opportunity to go up.”
The match will take place on Wednesday evening at 16:30 BST.
