TULLN/STARNBERG, September 11, 2026

The last Austrian player has been eliminated from the NÖ Open powered by EVN. Lukas Neumayer was beaten by Brazil’s Joao Lucas Reis da Silva 7-6(4), 6-4 in Friday’s quarterfinals after a closely contested encounter in Tulln. Reis da Silva will face Argentina’s Alex Barrena in the semifinals, while the second last-four clash will see Swiss qualifier Mika Brunold take on Ukraine’s Vitaliy Sachko.

Neumayer started strongly against Reis da Silva and looked solid behind his serve. The opening set developed into a contest of fine margins, with neither player able to establish a decisive advantage. The momentum remained evenly balanced until 4-4 in the tiebreak, when Reis da Silva raised his level at the crucial moment to take the first set.

Neumayer made the better start to the second set, breaking for a 3-1 lead. The Brazilian responded immediately, however, with a rebreak before breaking Neumayer again in the following game. From there, the Salzburg native was forced to chase the deficit, but Reis da Silva held his nerve to close out the match.

“It was certainly a really good tennis match, also from my side,” Neumayer said. “But I have to say that he played really well and made it extremely difficult for me with his strong returns. Because of that, I was often on the defensive very quickly.

“Of course, I would have hoped for a little more. Nevertheless, I had three matches here, some of them at a really good level, and I was able to get more match practice. I can build on that and take a lot from this into the Davis Cup.”

Reis da Silva was equally pleased with his performance. “I felt very good today. I was aggressive but also solid. The tiebreak was very close, but I was able to win it. Now I want to enjoy the moment and try to play just as well tomorrow.”

For the 24-year-old Neumayer, attention now turns back to Salzburg, where a Bundesliga final could be on the schedule on Sunday. From Monday onwards, his focus will shift fully towards Austria’s Davis Cup tie against Belgium on September 18 and 19 in Vienna.

Barrena survives thriller against Kolar

Alex Barrena booked his place in the semifinals after an epic battle with Czech Zdenek Kolar. After two hours and 46 minutes, the Argentine prevailed 6-7(7), 7-5, 7-5 in a dramatic quarterfinal.

Kolar came within touching distance of victory in the deciding set. Serving at 4-5, Barrena had to fend off several match points, but the Argentine held firm. He then produced the decisive blow in the following game, breaking Kolar to complete a remarkable comeback.

No fear from Alex Barrena 😤

The Argentine saves FOUR match points to defeat Kolar 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 and reach the semifinals in Tulln#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/GMGQLreJLa

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) September 11, 2026

“It was a really tough match. I played very well, but he also had a strong match,” Barrena said. “I had to save match points and I’m obviously incredibly happy that I was able to turn the match around. But now my focus is already on tomorrow.”

His semifinal opponent will be Neumayer’s conqueror, Reis da Silva, a player Barrena knows well.

“We have played against each other several times and our matches have always been close. I expect another really good fight.”

Brunold keeps his ‘Road to Sunday’ alive

Mika Brunold’s remarkable run continued in impressive fashion. The Swiss qualifier dismantled second seed Gustavo Heide 6-2, 6-1 on Centre Court to reach the semifinals.

The world No. 410 has now kept alive the personal goal he set after his opening qualifying match: his own “Road to Sunday”.

“I know that I can play at this level. But it’s something different to bring it onto the court as well,” Brunold said. “The score was clear, but I knew the match could turn at any moment. That’s why I wanted to stay focused on every point.”

The 22-year-old Swiss does not regard his run as a surprise.

“I said after the first qualifying round that my goal was to leave on Sunday.”

Before Saturday’s semifinal against Vitaliy Sachko, Brunold plans to recover – including a game of billiards with his coach – before turning his attention back to the challenge ahead.

Sachko battles past Soto

Brunold’s semifinal opponent will be Vitaliy Sachko. The Ukrainian overcame Chile’s Matias Soto 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in a fluctuating quarterfinal.

After taking the opening set, Sachko fell behind early in the second and opted to conserve his energy for the deciding set. He regained control in the third, taking charge of the match once again.

“The beginning of the third set was difficult, but throughout the set I felt that I was controlling the game and getting chances in practically every game,” Sachko said. “I’m very happy with the way I played the third set.”

Asked about his upcoming clash with Brunold, Sachko is focusing primarily on his own performance.

“Mika has played many matches here and is obviously playing very well. I have to concentrate on my own game and prepare as well as possible.”