ATP:”This is just brilliant” – Wildcard for Ofner in Vienna

The local shooting star Sebastian Ofner will be playing for the first time next week in the main competition at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna’s Stadthalle. Tournament director Herwig Straka awarded a wildcard to the 21-year-old Styrian for the tennis highlight, which comes with a prize money of 2,621,850 euros.

“Sebastian Ofner has played a strong season and set two exclamation points with the third round in Wimbledon and the semi-final in Kitzbühel. With these results, he has shown what great potential he has. With his carefree attitude, he can be trusted to do a lot in Vienna,”Straka said.

The current world rankings-135. Ofner reached the second qualifying round last year at his first appearance at the Stadthalle in Vienna,”The fact that I can be part of this year’s main competition is simply ingenious. The season has been long, but I’m going to cut out everything my body gives me. And who knows,”Ofner goes into his home tournament with full motivation,” Who knows, maybe he will succeed with the fans in his back with one or two surprises.

Straka had already given another wildcard to the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov at the beginning of the week, who will start for the first time in Vienna. The eighth in the world rankings, alongside German Alexander Zverev (ATP-5) and local hero Dominic Thiem (ATP-6), is the third top ten player at this year’s Erste Bank Open 500.

Dimitrov has won the Brisbane and Sofia tournaments this season and also won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati last August. Not least thanks to these successes Dimitrov has the best chances of winning the “Nitto ATP Finals” from 12. till 19. in London on 11 November. In total, the right-hander can claim seven ATP tournament victories.

A third and last wildcard for the main competition can still be given to Straka.