Alexander Zverev’s cancellation has long been forgotten. Oscar Otte has become the darling of the public and rushes from victory to victory. The man from Cologne can also be expected in Wimbledon.
Ten days before the start of the classic lawn game in Wimbledon, tennis pro Oscar Otte once again demonstrated his current impressive form and surprisingly reached the semi-finals of the tournament in Halle, Westphalia.
The 28-year-old from Cologne won in the quarterfinals against the Russian Karen Chatschanov 4: 6, 7: 6 (7: 5), 6: 4 and is thus in the semifinals of an ATP 500 tournament for the first time in his career.
Otte now meets Medvedev in the semifinals
Otte converted his first match point against Chatschanov after 2:11 hours to the cheers of the enthusiastic spectators. In the semifinals, the German number two will now face world number one Daniil Medvedev from Russia on Saturday (2:30 p.m.). Medvedev defeated Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-4 on Friday. In the second semi-final, Australians Nick Kyrgios and Hubert Hurkacz face each other.
In the absence of Alexander Zverev, who was injured, Otte has long since won the hearts of German tennis fans. As the day before when he defeated the Georgian Nikolos Bassilashvili in the round of 16, the spectators pushed the Rhinelander forward again and again, even in critical phases. Like in the round of 16, he turned the game around after losing the first set.
“The audience pushes me enormously. It’s great fun to play in front of so many spectators,” said Otte. “A few years ago I watched the matches from Halle on TV. And now I’m playing here on Center Court myself. It’s actually unbelievable, »says Otte, who had already reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart last week.
What is possible at Wimbledon?
Due to his strong performances in Halle, the current number 51 in the world rankings will improve to the top 40 in the coming week. With his strong serves and his good volleys, Otte is also capable of a lot in Wimbledon.
However, Otte struggled with shoulder problems against Chatschanow. At the beginning of the third set, the German even had to be treated briefly. “The painkiller worked quickly,” said Otte. «I gained energy with the last drop.»
Source: Stern
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