TULLN, September 8, 2022
The semi-finals of the NÖ Open powered by EVN in Tulln an der Donau are set. Elias Ymer ended the run of Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein with a 7-5, 6-3 in the stage of the last eight on Thursday.
The No. 4 seed of the €90,280 ATP Challenger Tour clay-court event hit five aces and won 70 per cent of his first-service points to advance in one hour and 30 minutes.
A touch of magic from @eliasymer 🪄💫
The 🇸🇪 defeats Klein 7-5, 6-3 in Tulln to reach his third semifinal of the year!#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/QAL3SmuNz6
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 8, 2022
Ymer, a six-time ATP Challenger Tour champion, will next take on Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia, who defeated sixth-seeded Austrian Jurij Rodionov 6-1, 6-3 in 71 minutes.
“My serve was definitely the key today,” said Kovalik. “Jurij made a lot of errors in the beginning, but both the service and the return helped me right from the start. And that even when he was able to improve in the second set.”
In the top half of the draw, Norbert Gombos rallied from a set down to overcome home favourite Sebastian Ofner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. The No. 3 seed from Slovakia withstood eight aces and broke his rival four times to prevail after one hour and 34 minutes.
Gombos will next play Dutch qualifier Jelle Sels, who benefited from the retirement of #NextGenATP Italian Giulio Zeppieri. The 255th-ranked Sels was leading 6-3, 3-1 when Zeppieri was forced to stop playing due to injury.
