The Gstaad semi-finalist Dominic Thiem, who came into the field via “protected ranking”, will face the French veteran Richard Gasquet on Tuesday (7.30 p.m., live ServusTV). The wildcard players Jurij Rodionov and Filip Misolic, on the other hand, will play against players from the qualification that started on Saturday.
A number of athletes travel from Gstaad to Tyrol, such as Casper Ruud, again top seed ahead of Italian Matteo Berrettini. As in Switzerland, the Norwegian is also the defending champion in the Gamsstadt. If Thiem gets over Gasquet and in the round of 16 over the number six Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or a qualifier, it could go against Berrettini again in the quarterfinals. In the Gstaad semi-final, Thiem lost to the 26-year-old 1: 6.4: 6.
In the head-to-head with the 36-year-old Gasquet, Thiem is 1: 2 behind. The Lower Austrian won the most recent duel in Beijing in 2019, it will be the first comparison between the two on sand. In Gstaad, Gasquet lost 4:6,4:6 to Berrettini in the round of 16. “Dominic has definitely pulled the veteran here,” said tournament director Alexander Antonitsch. “I trust him in his current form and with the support of the audience that he can win this game.”
The local hero wants to confirm his upward trend after the Baastad quarter-finals and the Gstaad semi-finals: “Now it’s time to rest well for Tuesday so that I’m back there and I can continue after two very good weeks. I know that I’m playing well and able to perform well for the home crowd. I’m getting closer to my top level and hopefully I can take another step at home next week.”
Sebastian Ofner took the first two qualifying hurdles, the Styrian defeated Pawel Kotow from Russia 7:6(5),7:5. Gerald Melzer beat the Serbian Hamad Medkedovic 2:6.6:2.6:2 and still has hope. For Lukas Neumayer, qualifying was the end of the line. Maybe at the beginning of the week an Austrian qualifier will face Misolic. “I’m very happy to be here and to have received the wildcard,” said Kitzbühel debutant Misolic. “I hope I can show what I’ve got.”
Source: Nachrichten
