ATP Challenger Tulln: Austro offensive on qualifying Sunday
Already on the first day of the ATP Challenger tournament, the places at TC Tulln were well attended. And the fans saw great tennis - also and especially from the young Austrians in the qualification.
by p.m
last edit: Sep 04, 2022, 07:52 pm
Despite the rain during the night, the Tullners presented themselves in perfect condition at the start of the tournament on Sunday! and just like last year, it was the now 23-year-old Viennese Neil Oberleitner (ATP no.: 797) at the ATP Challenger tournament in Tulln with a strong performance and a win - this time 7: 5, 6: 4 against the last Czech Jonáš Forejtek (21) in 223rd place. On Monday at 10 a.m. and again on Center Court against Lebanon's Benjamin Hassan (ATP No. 293) for a place in the main competition
Immediately after Oberleitner, Tyrolean Sandro Kopp (22, ATP No. 551) followed up on the already well-attended Center Court. He defeated world No. 277 Argentinian Gonzalo Villanueva 7-6, 6-2. “Especially the second movement sounds clearer than it was. But after he served the first set at 6:5, I was able to improve again and keep him under pressure with a very active game. It's cool, if something like that works out, I've worked hard over the past year to keep the initiative even in tight matches," says right-hander Kopp (photo), who won the singles competition in Telfs last July and most recently the doubles competition in Ystad, Sweden could win. The next opponent on Monday, from 10 a.m. in 1st place, is the German Elmar Ejupovic (ATP No. 436) in the match for a main draw ticket.
Surprise by Andrejic
Probably the biggest surprise in the first qualifying round was the 19-year-old Lower Austrian Marko Andrejic, who was still 49th in the junior world rankings at the beginning of 2021, but had to attack from 1902nd place in the ATP ranking. And he did that at the start of the NÖ Open powered by EVN ! Equipped with a wild card for the qualification for Tulln, he sensationally beat the one year older number 234 in the tennis world, the Argentinian Juan Bautista Torres 6:2 and 7:5! It was remarkable that the right-hander not only landed 73 percent of his first serves and was able to make the point in 75 percent of all cases, but also shone on the return. With more than 50 percent of Torres' first serves, receiver Andrejic made the point. Tomorrow the teenager will face 24-year-old Slovakian Lukas Klein (ATP No. 300) in the second match from 10 a.m. on the center court
It was against this Lukas Klein that Lukas Krainer (21, ATP No. 593) had to give up 6: 7 and 6: 7. In the end, the talented Carinthian scored only seven points less than his conqueror. Record: 76/83.
Austria's current number 83 in the double world rankings also had to retire from the race for a ticket in the main competition. Last week with Lucas Miedler double winner in Como, Andreas Erler (24) is currently 722nd in the world rankings in singles. The Tyrolean's opponent in qualifying, Filip Horansky (29), on the other hand, is on No. 229. The match between the two was still close. In the end, the Slovakian triumphed 3:6, 6:3, 6.2. Alex Erler's full concentration is now on the doubles, where he will start the title race together with Tullner Miedler as number 1.
The individual main competition starts on Monday. In the third match after 10 a.m., U16 European champion Joel Schwärzler will play Italy's No. 172 in the world rankings, Giulio Zeppieri, on Center Court.
Lukas Neumayer meets Tulln's number 4, Sweden's Elias Ymer, on the main square not before 3 p.m.