Vienna, October 14, 2014
Two seeded players have already been taken out on Tuesday’s first round matches at the Erste Bank Open. The tournament’s number seven Guillermo Garcia-López lost in straight sets 3-6, 4-6 to Jan-Lennard Struff, who saved all three break points he faced within 69 minutes
Local hero and with only 21-year-old, youngest player within the Top 50 in the ATP World Tour Rankings Dominic Thiem, seeded on eighth position in Vienna, was defeated by Robin Haase losing 3-6, 6-3, 3-6 in 93 minutes. “I’m really disappointed with my performance today. Of course, Robin played well today but my own game wasn’t very strong,” Thiem said. “This is bitter defeat but you won’t receive any presents in tennis. Robin does not want to let me win because the tournament is played in Vienna,” the Austrian youngster added. Haase will face Benjamin Becker next, who came back for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Romanian qualifier Victor Hanescu.
Local hero Dominic Thiem suffered defeat in opening round in Vienna
The tournament’s number six, Ivo Karlovic, was more successful. The Croat served 29 aces in his opening round match without any break point opportunities against Federico Delbonis, saved three match points and eventually prevailed winning 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 in two hours and 25 minutes. The 35-year-old from Zagreb will play two times Vienna champion Jürgen Melzer next, who defeated Slovakian luck loser Norbert Gombos winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Austrian world number 123, who missed last year’s Vienna event for the first time in 13 years due to a shoulder injury saved ten out of 13 break points he faced against the ATP World Tour debutant to seal victory in two hours and four minutes. “In the first two sets, I wasn’t able to find my rhythm but I really wanted to win this match. Fighting spirit and the great atmosphere here helped me to meet this goal,” Melzer told afterwards.
Jürgen Melzer (left) and Dominic Thiem during Vienna News conference in September (photo: Bildagentur Zolles KG)
Viktor Troicki hit fourteen aces and conceded only five points on serve while beating Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-0, 6-3 in only 55 minutes.
Third seed Feliciano López will meet Tomaz Bellucci in his opening match in Vienna. The Brazilian knocked out Paul-Henri Mathieu winning 6-1, 6-4 in 76 minutes.
Vasek Pospisil set a second round clash with the tournament’s number two Andy Murray on Thursday after beating German qualifier Daniel Brands 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 in two hours and 21 minutes. The Scottish Olympic Champion from 2012 went sightseeing in Vienna on Tuesday afternoon and Murray was excited: “I have heard a lot about Vienna but the city exceeded my expectations,” the 27-year-old said and couldn’t resist to taste a piece of the famous Sacher Cake.
Andy Murray visited Cafè Sacher in Vienna (photo: Bildagentur Zolles KG)
