ATP Challenger Tulln: Passed talent tests, lost matches
The local young guard held up bravely on the Tullner "Maniac Monday", but this time they had to pay tribute to the class and routine of their opponents. But after the first "Austrian Day" the second follows on Tuesday...
by p.m
last edit: Sep 05, 2022, 07:18 pm
The first player who made it into the second round of the main competition at the Tullner ATP Challenger this year is Giulio Zeppieri. According to the result, the Italian won his opening game smoothly with 6: 1 and 6: 2. Good for the 20-year-old left-hander from Rome, less cool for his 16-year-old opponent from Austria. As the reigning U16 European champion, Joel Schwärzler from Vorarlberg, with his training headquarters in the ÖLSZ Südstadt, was given a main draw wildcard by ÖTV and the tournament organizers. The youngster, who also does his job on the court with links, comments on his very first "sniff" in the steel pool of the ATP Challenger Tour, grateful and self-critical: "First of all, I would like to thank ÖTV sports director Jürgen Melzer and tournament director Florian Leitgeb for the wildcard! Getting a chance like that is really not something that should be taken for granted. I can only be partially satisfied with my game today. At the beginning I was quite nervous, but then I at least hit my serves quite well - better than in the last few days - and played a few points properly to the end." The super talent explains the difference between the Challenger Tour and the ITF junior tournaments in red-white-red like this: "As soon as I just pass a ball over normally here, the pros immediately lay down on it and get to the point! Only the first four or five can do that at the ITF level. But I also want to go there – and Tulln has given me a lot of encouragement on this path!”
Lukas Neumayer (19, ATP No. 333) from Salzburg is also clearly on the way up, but ultimately playing on the losing road today. Austria's reigning national champion was also allowed to play against Sweden's Elias Ymer (26, ATP No. 133) with a wildcard in the main competition. In the end, he was ahead in too many intensive rallies and clearly won the match, which was also characterized by numerous breaks, only in terms of the result with 6:3 and 6:4.
Tournament favorite Coria starts on Tuesday
The final stop for three other Austrians was the qualifying final for the last main competition tickets. Neil Oberleitner had to bow out against Benjamin Hassan (27, ATP No. 293) from Lebanon 4: 6, 2: 6, but can be seen in doubles alongside Junior Joel Schwärzler on Tuesday (not before 2 p.m.). On place 2). The 19-year-old Marko Andrejic lost his hard-fought game against the Slovakian Lukas Klein 5:7 and 4:6 and the Tyrolean Sandro Kopp fought his way into a third set against the German Elmar Ejupovic, but ultimately lost 7:6. 6:7 and 2:6.
Even if Monday's results are unfortunately not rosy from a domestic point of view, another Austrian day follows on "Super Tuesday" with many chances for revenge. At 10 a.m., Gerald Melzer (32, ATP No. 132) opens on Center Court against the Russian qualifier Ivan Gakhow (25, ATP No. 310). At the same time, Sebastian Ofner (26, ATP No. 216) starts on Court 1 against Germany's Cedric-Marcel Stebe (31, ATP No. 233).
Here the individual tableau in Tulln
Dennis Novak (29, ATP No. 136) and Andrejic conqueror Lukas Klein will then play the second game after 10 a.m. on Center Court. Then comes the hopefully hot Austrian duel between Filip Misolic (21, ATP No. 141), seeded number 7, and Tullner local hero Lucas Miedler (26, ATP No. 337). And for the finale on the main square, Jurij Rodionov (23, ATP No. 139) meets "Oberleitner bouncer" Benjamin Hassan.
The start of the tournament by Federico Coria (30, ATP No. 78), seeded number 1 in Tulln, could serve up another treat. The Argentine meets the talented Bresnik protégé from Russia, 21-year-old Alexander Shevchenko (ATP No. 162).