“Watch Gemma Dominic Thiem!”

For Matthias Ujvary it is the game of his young tennis life. The 18-year-old from Burgenland, who is ranked 1277 in the world, successfully fought his way through the qualification for the second SKE Danube Upper Austria Open in Mauthausen and won the ultimate jackpot in the draw. Ujvary will not have to deal with none other than one of his great role models and the superstar of the event before 4 p.m. today (sportpassaustria.at live) on the completely sold-out Center Court at Josef Czerwenka Straße 1 with more than 500 visitors.

2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem is waiting on the other side of the net. “It’s already the greatest success of my career. It will be a great experience for me, but I would certainly have better chances against someone else,” said Ujvary with audible respect for the giant, who is not sure to be a sure-fire success at his premiere in the Mühlviertel adjusts. “My performance has to be one hundred percent right,” emphasized Thiem.

“I was almost shocked”

The 29-year-old from Lichtenwörther is physically at his best after intensive sessions with neo-coach Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh. “One hour in the morning, then a match, then another unit,” reports number 96 in the ATP ranking: “If I’m not playing, it’s two hours twice or a block of three and a half hours.”

He finds 100 percent of the infrastructure for this in the Mühlviertel. The ultra-modern Park Hotel Hagenberg, which has been awarded four stars, plays all the pieces, in the adjacent tennis center Thiem can get the finishing touches for his tournament matches in peace and quiet. The shuttle service takes you to Mauthausen in around 20 minutes. A stone’s throw.

“I’m really happy that I can play in my home country and that I’ll have really good support. It’s my aim to offer the audience something,” said Thiem, who verbally rolled out the red carpet for the organizers: “The hotel is incredible, the facility is great too.”

The popularity ratings are unbroken – especially at home, but also abroad. The G’riss is big, so is the longing for autographs. Madrid triumphant Carlos Alcaraz revealed that his younger brother Jaime is a huge Thiem fan. “He loves you, you are his idol,” wrote the second in the world rankings.

As far as major tournaments go, the 17-time ATP champion isn’t disproportionately keen on being in the glaring spotlight. “As a number 90, it’s more comfortable to play a 1000. It’s a lot less activity.” But that could change again in the foreseeable future.

Thiem is fully focused on becoming his old self again. The narrow defeat against Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre), fifth in the world rankings, in Madrid nourishes the hope of flying high, although the Lower Austrian was hard on himself after studying the video. “There were certainly a lot of positive things, but the return doesn’t suit me at all. I was almost shocked at how many mistakes I made there,” said Thiem.

Today the next progress should be recognizable.

A duo is in the round of 16

A total of nine Austrians are in the main competition of the second SKE Danube Upper Austria Open in Mauthausen, two of them made it into the round of 16 yesterday. Gerald Melzer, who is in a relationship with golfer Emma Spitz, started the Challenger tournament in front of his brother and ÖTV sports director Jürgen Melzer with a 7: 6 (1), 1: 6, 6: 0 win over Australian James McCabe . “It’s good to start like this,” said the 32-year-old, who has dropped back to 426th in the world after numerous injuries.

Filip Misolic, who sensationally reached the final in Kitzbühel last year, is in a better position. The number 129 won against the French Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2. The home advantage seems to inspire the 21-year-old Styrian. For Maximilian Neuchrist (1: 6, 1: 6 against Facundo Bagnis / Arg), however, came out.