ATP Challenger Tulln: Wildcards for Erler, Miedler and Melzer
The wildcards for the ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Tulln go to Alexander Erler, Lucas Miedler and Gerald Melzer.
by PM
last edit: Sep 03, 2021, 02:10 pm
After an intensive online conference by the ÖTV sports director Jürgen Melzer, who is at the US Open, and Florian Leitgeb , the tournament director of the NÖ Open powered by EVN , the tennis association and the organizer have agreed on the awarding of wild cards for the ATP 100 challenger.
The Austrian fixed starters Dennis Novak and Sebastian Ofner will be reinforced by three compatriots in the main individual competition. The 23-year-old Tyrolean Alexander Erler (ATP 327)only recently impressed at the ATP 250 tournament in Kitzbühel not only with his opening win against Spain's aspiring young star Carlos Alcaraz (ATP number 55), but also with winning the title in doubles.
Erler won the Kitzer trophy alongside Tulln's second wildcard player, Lucas Miedler (25, ATP 315). The Lower Austrian won a single tournament this year at ITF level in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and also reached the semi-finals at the Challenger of Potchefstroom in South Africa. It can be assumed that the real Tullner will be given an additional boost in motivation by the role of local hero.
Austrians also start in the qualification
Always good for a surprise is the unbroken veteran Gerald Melzer (31). Although the German-Wagramer has been struggling with the painful consequences of an ankle injury since 2018, despite several operations and therapies, the Davis cupper has recently been able to set athletic signs again. The former ATP no. 68 for example at the Challenger in Liberec with the Slovak Andrej Martin the number 117 in the world. Melzer also presented himself strongly recently in the German Bundesliga, where he made a significant contribution to Grün-Weiß Mannheim's title win with an individual score of 4-0 against top international players.
The wild cards for the individual qualification to be held on Sunday, September 5th from 11 a.m. go to ÖTV talents Lukas Neumayer (18, ATP 761), Filip Misolic (20, ATP 536) and Lukas Krainer (20, ATP 830) , which this year showed positive results on the ITF tour. In doubles, the Kitzbühel winners Miedler / Erler can justifiably hope for a place in the main field thanks to their ranking. If the successful duo actually serves up there, the two available wildcards go to the pairings Neil Oberleitner / Lukas Neumayer and Filip Misolic / Max Neuchrist .