US Open
Three out of a total of seven ÖTV players who competed in qualifying at the US Open in New York saved their chance of a place in the main draw. While all three Austrians, Julia Grabher, Sinja Kraus and Barbara Haas, failed right at the start, Filip Misolic, Dennis Novak and Sebastian Ofner made it into the second of three rounds. Only Gerald Melzer stayed behind.
Ofner (ATP No. 219) offered a strong fighting performance against Kitzbühel semi-finalist Yannick Hanfmann and wrestled the German, who was 67 places higher in the world rankings, in 2:28 hours 7: 6 (9/7) 5: 7 6: 4 low. In the next round, the 26-year-old from Styria will face the Russian Pawel Kotow (ATP No. 113), who was number twelve in the qualification.
The ÖTV trio is completed in the second qualifying round by Misolic and Novak. Kitzbühel finalist Misolic defeated the 18-year-old American Martin Damm 6: 7 (7/3) 7: 6 (7/6) 6: 3 on Tuesday, Novak the 24-year-old Aleksandar Kovacevic from the USA with 7 :6 (7/6) 6:1. In the second round Misolic meets the number eleven seeded Frenchman Corentin Moutet, Novak meets the Czech Dalibor Svrcina.
Women’s main competition without Austrians
Just like Melzer, who lost 5:7 2:6 against the Slovak Jozef Kovalik in 1:20 hours, the ÖTV ladies were unlucky. After Grabher and Kraus, Haas was the third Austrian to fail in the first qualifying round on Wednesday. The Upper Austrian lost in 71 minutes against Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove from the Netherlands 3:6 3:6.
Grabher and Kraus had already failed on Tuesday with the same result. Grabher lost to Viktoria Kuzmova from Slovakia in 71 minutes, Kraus lost to Maria Carle from Argentina in 78 minutes. The women’s main competition takes place without Austrian participation. Only Dominic Thiem is fixed in the main field of the US Open thanks to a wildcard. Lower Austria’s Jurij Rodionov canceled due to illness.
