ATP: Vienna Blog #5 – Walking in the cosmopolitan city

Replacement of the guard in Vienna – and this on the Austrian national holiday, on which fans storm the Stadthalle.

The Austrian as such: well, he likes to hike on his national holiday. Especially in the village. In contrast to a major German city that also hosts an ATP tournament, Vienna is by no means a village. Metropolis. And with a heart. Nevertheless, crowds of people have also set off in motion in the Austrian capital this Thursday, as Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak have set the course: the Vienna Stadthalle, which has left a very sold-out impression.

So fans who arrived a little later might have been unlucky, but were faced with unlocked doors that could not be passed. Reporters arriving a little later will find it easier to do so, and the accreditation body has an open ear at almost any time of the day. The problem is a different one, namely: What do individual players ask if they are already holding their third press conference as part of the tournament? It is to be assumed that the exemplary and meticulous colleague, who was replaced by the late arrival, has already clarified all the tricky details.

So first of all listen carefully to how the assembled press choir conducts the interviews, whether in the jovial du- or rather the professional Per-Sie form – flanked in any case with background knowledge, which can only be achieved by those who have been at the starting line in the Stadthalle since the first qualifying ball change.

Why is Dennis Novak wearing a New York Mets cap at a press conference yet again? After three hours of intense rallies with his sports buddy Edmund, and also with a negative outcome, the good man has other worries. And the international press does not give a damn about whether Novak has perhaps even explained himself extensively on this matter. Or maybe not.

The most pressing question, however, is: Was the appearance of the great Anton Polster a singular event – or does the great goalscorer enjoy permanent ticket status? Anyway, the mood of Toni is magnificent – as always. But even those who arrived late know why the smile of the Grand Master is even more radiant than usual: The Effzeh from Cologne, Toni Polster’s second great love beside the Viennese Austria, found his way back to the road to success on Wednesday. In Berlin. Even a cosmopolitan city.