So near, so far. Quentin Halys believed on Monday that he was going to achieve a great performance for his entry into the running in Vienna. After pulling out of qualifying, the only Frenchman on the big Austrian ATP 500 table seriously upset Borna Coric, 27th player in the world, before finally giving in in three sets (3-6, 7-5, 6-3) and 2h04 of play in the 1st round. If there are therefore already no more Blues in the tournament, the Croatian could face Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded 2, in his next match.
There is reason to be frustrated. Quentin Halys almost had the perfect match, but he couldn’t keep his opponent’s head underwater until the end. Author of an entry break, very lively on his serve, he did not have the slightest break point to save until 6-3, 4-5. And after dismissing the first two opposing opportunities in this 10th game of the second set, he himself got an opportunity to make the difference at 5-5. Unfortunately for him, Coric played with the lines to save it admirably, before equalizing at one set everywhere.
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Coric found its rhythm just in time
With his ultra-aggressive recovery strategy – he got his initial break thanks to a winning backhand return along the line – Halys pushed Coric to his limits. But the Croatian ended up finding his rhythm in the exchange and passing. In the long run, his consistency and his heaviness of the ball paid off, allowing him to win White the Frenchman’s commitment at 2-1 in the final act.
To see his relief once the match was over, the Croatian was visibly scared. And he owes it mainly to the level of his opponent, but if this observation will surely not console Halys.
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