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Gratitude and growth: Daniel Phillips reflects on breakthrough week in Türkiye
Written by Sports Desk. Posted in Tennis. | 04 July 2025 | 743 Views
Tags: Tennis/Bermuda, Tennis/Daniel Phillips

Bermuda’s rising tennis star Daniel Phillips expressed heartfelt gratitude to his supporters after a career-defining run at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) M15 tournament in Türkiye, where his impressive streak ended at the quarterfinal stage on Friday.

Phillips, who recently became the fourth Bermudian to turn professional, fell 1-6, 3-6 to top-ranked German Nino Ehrenschneider, which brought to a close a tournament filled with personal milestones and hard-earned victories.

Now a professional and a key member of Bermuda’s Davis Cup team, Phillips says the experience has only fueled his desire to climb higher.

"Big thank you to everyone for all the support this week. My first Futures main draw and I reached the quarterfinals—lost today but gained valuable experience, and I'm excited to keep it going. Grateful for my country, my family, and my friends. This is only the beginning!” Phillips wrote in a reflective social media post shortly after the match.

The 20-year-old made an emphatic statement on his debut in the Futures main draw, as he earned his first ATP points with a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory over Russia’s Ivan Denisov in the opening round. He then caused a stir by upsetting seventh-seeded German Niklas Schell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, to earn his place in the final eight.

But Phillips’ journey in Turkey started long before the main draw. The former Bermuda junior champion had to fight through three rounds of qualifying to book his spot. He opened his campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Italy’s Jacopo Gianno, followed by a 7-6, 6-2 victory against Switzerland’s Aleksandar Lavrnja, and finally sealed his place with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Britain’s Matthew Rutter.

Though Ehrenschneider proved too strong in the quarterfinals, the Bermudian’s performance in Türkiye was nothing short of a breakthrough.

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