[ad_1]
The zurichista traveled to Kitzbühel without knowing if it would be enough to qualify. He then beat four of the top 100 players, including Fabio Fognini. And suddenly everything is different.
Flying high in the mountain air: Marc-Andrea Hüsler broke into the semi-finals of an ATP tournament for the first time.
Photo: freshfocus
The corona virus has turned the tennis calendar upside down. This affects not only the best cracks who return to the arena after the US Open, but also those who have to convert each franc. The tables are sometimes crowded because everyone wants to play again. Swiss Davis Cup player Marc-Andrea Hüsler therefore did not come in as world number 303 in the grade For him Challenger tournament in Prostejov, Czech Republic. So he traveled, surviving qualifying at Ostrava the week before, but there on the starting lap. knapp an previous top 20 player Viktor Troicki failed, disappointed on the train back to Zurich.
But maybe, he was shot in the head, he could enter the ATP-250 qualifying tournament-Events slide in Kitzbühel. Because the return trip from the US will not be easy for all players., the plans of many change practically every day. So last Sunday he took the five-hour train ride to winter sports.site on himself, although he didn’t know if he would play, and he signed up. “Sometimes you have to Pokern, “he says with a smile in the phone interview. “And when I saw on Sunday night that some of them had canceled againnorth and I was in the painting, I was happy. “
“When I was a child I thought that if I played tennis it should look like Lopez’s. Now I’ve hit him. “
The 24-year-old took advantage of this opportunity. In qualifying he beat Attila Balazs (ATP 78) and Prajnesh Gunneswaran (136), who is placed in the main draw.me it only really started: first he defeated aspiring Finn Emil Ruusyouvuori (92), then the seed Fabio Fognini (12) and the Spanish heartthrob Feliciano López (57). “When I was a kid, I thought if I played tennis, it should look like Lopez’s,” says Hüsler. “Now I not only played against him, I even beat him.” His first match against Balazs was the best and the victory over Fognini was, of course, the most valuable of his career.
In the semifinal against the talented Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (47) it was enough on Saturday northOr more. Hüsler worked his way into the game and called with aggressive play and a lot of serviceag-volley auf sentences 1: 1, in the end it was missingnorth he in the sixth Partie in six days and then aAbout freshness and precision. Acted in third Set with a 2: 1 break, 3: 1 missed balls, and finally lose 2: 6, 7: 5, 3: 6. “I made too many mistakes at the crucial moment,” says Hüsler. “But I got into the game, even though I never felt comfortable against him. You can get both positive and negative out of each match. “
Of your week in Kitzbühel, it should be mostly the positives that you wear. “I experienced emotions that were new to me,” says the man from Zurich. “I managed to confirm the victories over the top 100 players several times. And I also reaffirmed myself on the days when I didn’t feel so comfortable. “I had only celebrated one ATP-level win before – 2018 in Gstaad against Nicolás Almagro -, So now he’s advanced to the semi-finals and made a huge leap up the world rankings – probably from 303 to 218.
This will make planning easier for you in the coming months – almost everywhere you’ll hit the main stage at Challenger tournaments. She had hardly dreamed of such a return to work, as she was absent for four months in November with a foot injury. After the crown-PIn addition, he had already contributed quite a bit to TC Seeblick’s Swiss championship title, including the defeat of Pedro Martínez (106) and Arthur Rinderknech (161). and excels in his favorite discipline, doubles. If the 1.96-meter-tall southpaw overcomes his aggressive play, he can also defeat the best players. – he has that now tried.
To take advantage of the momentum, travel and continue playing. This is followed by two Challenger tournaments in Romania, in Iasi and Sibu. But treat yourself to a glass of wine in Kitzbühel, says Hüsler with a smile.
