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At the age of 39 and in his last full year on the ATP Tour, Jürgen Melzer can look forward to one of the greatest successes of his career with the final entry to the ATP Finals in London.
With his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin, he may be the first Austrian to play the great ATP end-of-season tournament on Sunday against Wesley Koolhof / Nikola Mektic (NED / CRO-5) (starting at 16.30 on the ticker LIVE and on Sky) Win tour.
“Having the opportunity to play at the ATP Masters tomorrow is extreme. The line-up is even better than a Grand Slam. A win tomorrow would be at the top of the Grand Slam titles,” says Melzer, who is satisfied as in the games. groups surprised the competitors again and again with magic balls.
Melzer and his partner posted a deficit of 6: 7.0: 2 and then a large deficit of 1: 7 in the decisive tiebreaker of the match to victory.
“We sat across from Sofia so we could have better body language when we’re late. We did it today – at 1: 7 you didn’t realize we were late,” Melzer said. In 8: 9 they even fended off a match point and used the first. Melzer is the second Austrian doubles player after Julian Knowle in the 2007 Masters final.
“We will continue to surf this wave now”
“Somehow it seems like it should happen that way. We will continue to ride this wave now,” cheered Melzer, who will remain a professional until the Australian Open and then become ÖTV’s sporting director. Two Austrians in the final in the showdown of the eight best singles players and the eight best doubles of the season, that’s extraordinary. “This is amazing and unique to our little country.”
For Melzer, a two-time Grand Slam doubles winner, who incidentally is accompanied in London by his coach Ronald Leitgeb, the final just before the end of his career marks one of his biggest doubles successes even before the title match.
As good as never before in doubles
In their third double Masters appearance, they had survived the group stage for the first time. He has earned 800 points to date, as well as $ 184,500 (which he shares with Roger-Vasselin).
Shortly before the end of his career, Melzer is looking better than ever in doubles. “I even think I’m definitely playing the best right now, regardless of how Petzschner and I play. As a singles doubles player, I’m certainly much better than in 2010 and 2011 when we won the Grand Slam.”
It is already clear to Melzer that despite the extension in January, his “absolute professional career will come to an end on Sunday in London and there will be other priorities.” He will prepare thoroughly for the Australian Open, but will also see what he can do for his future position at ÖTV.
Text as: © LAOLA1.at
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