Oscar Otte has almost given up the search for his bag containing a lucky stone and tennis equipment that went missing on the flight to London.
“I think by now it’s gone missing,” the 28-year-old from Cologne told reporters after his second-round win at the grass-court classic at Wimbledon. “I don’t know how a bag can disappear, either someone took it or it’s still in Hamburg or London. In the meantime, it’s really too stupid for me to keep asking about it, it really just drains my energy.” His father’s secretary will make one last search attempt.
The piece of luggage with grass shoes and a roll of strings for stringing rackets was lost on the journey to the Grand Slam tournament – and has not been found by the airline since. The fact that the lucky charm in the form of a stone, which Otte had received from his father, is also gone has not yet had a negative effect at Wimbledon. In the second round, opponent Christian Harrison gave up after only 15 minutes. “Actually, I’m very superstitious,” Otte said. “When it’s gone, it’s gone, it’s out of my hands. It’s worked out quite well without a lucky stone so far.”
In the absence of Olympic champion Alexander Zverev, who is missing through injury, Otte is the German number one in the men’s singles at Wimbledon and the only one of seven starters to reach the third round. He will now face Spanish young star Carlos Alcaraz. “If I have a good chance, it will be on grass, on the other courts he is one of the best players,” Otte said of the 19-year-old world number seven.