ATP Challenger Tulln: Austrian festival with teenage power
The die has been cast and the first-round pairings in the individual main competition and qualification for the second ATP Challenger tournament in Tulln have been fixed. And there, like there, red-white-red cracks have the chance to write their success stories.
by p.m
last edit: Sep 03, 2022, 09:27 pm
Argentinian Federico Coria, who is number 1, meets 21-year-old Russian Alexander Shevchenko (ATP No. 162), who is looked after by Günter Bresnik. The number 2 from Tulln, Chun-Hsin Tseng from Taipei, in turn has to deal with the former world number 80, the Slovak Jozef Kovalik. Third-seeded Norbert Gombos (SVK) meets Argentina's Thiago Tirante (21, ATP No. 171) and bottom-of-the-grid No. 4 Swede Elias Ymer (26, ATP No. 133) , may play against Austria's only 19-year-old state champion Lukas Neumayer. The man from Salzburg was given a wildcard by ÖTV and the tournament organizers, making him one of eight Austrians in the main competition.
The current number 1 in red-white-red, Dennis Novak, seeded 5th in Tulln, meets a qualifier as well as Juri Rodionov, ranked 6th in the grid. A special challenge awaits the number 7 at TC Tulln, the Kitz finalist Filip Misolic, at his second start in Tulln: The 21-year-old last year's quarter-finalist can match with the Tulln local hero and wildcard crack Lucas Miedler. On the other hand, Sebastian Ofner, currently number 218 in the ATP ranking, is waiting for a duel with the German evergreen Cedric-Marcel Stebe (31, ATP number 233). A Lower Austrian perennial favorite, the Deutsch-Wagramer Gerald Melzer (ATP No. 192), meets a qualifier.
Sweet Sixteen and European Champion
And then there is the eighth Austrian in the main competition. And you can be particularly excited about his debut at ATP level. Joel Schwärzler was born in 2006 (!) and since the end of July has been Austria's first U16 European champion since a certain Lucas Miedler exactly 10 years ago! The man from Vorarlberg also trains under Jürgen Melzer's wing at ÖLSZ Südstadt. The fact that his very young protégé was equipped with a wildcard has two reasons for the ÖTV sports director: "Firstly, he has honestly earned this "reward" through his great performance, especially at the junior level and secondly, I see the starting place as a real investment in Austria's tennis future . Just being there gives him invaluable experience, and I'm convinced that Joel already has what it takes to surprise the pros too!”
The fact that all Tulln wildcards - Neil Oberleitner, Alex Erler, Lukas Krainer and Sandro Kopp are at the start in the qualification - went to local and consistently young Austrians is also a clear signal for ÖTV President Martin Ohneberg: "International events like the ATP -Challengers in Tulln in their own country are the perfect way for our players to determine where they stand and, of course, the ideal opportunity to show what they’re already capable of at home!” Speaking of which: Miedler/Erler and Maximilian Neuchrist & Sam Weissborn also want the latter the two Austro pairs prove themselves in the doubles competition.