ATP Challenger Maia: Max Neuchrist misses sensational titles
The Austrian Max Neuchrist just missed a big surprise in the final of the ATP Challenger tournament in Maia against the French Luca Van Assche .
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit: Dec 04, 2022, 05:06 pm
The perfect conclusion to an extraordinary week was not to come: Max Neuchrist had to defeat the young Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the final of the ATP Challenger 80 tournament in Maia 6: 3, 4: 6, 0 :6 beaten. The Viennese, who had sensationally advanced through the qualification to the final of the Portuguese indoor hard court event, visibly ran out of strength towards the end of the game.
What doesn't seem particularly surprising, however, is that the 31-year-old had to endure a number of true marathon games before the final decision. In the round of 16 it was against the Kazakh Timofey Skatov with 7: 6 (3), 6: 7 (4), 7: 6 (3) over 3:32 hours, in the round of the last eight against the Briton Jan Choinski with 6: 7 (6), 6:3, 6:4 over 2:27 hours and in the semifinals against the top seeded local hero Nuno Borges with 5:7, 6:3, 7:6 (1) over 2:48 hours of play.
Leap up 82 places
In singles it was Neuchrist's first final in an ATP Challenger tournament, in doubles the Austrian has already won three titles spread over his career at the second highest international level, most recently alongside Greek Michail Pervolarakis at the indoor hard court event in Calgary just three weeks ago.
The right-hander will make a big leap from 359th to 277th in tomorrow's ATP ranking - the last one in 2022. The career high of position 244 dates from July 2018.