Defending Champion Vladimir Vukicevic with Tour Finals prelude made to measure

Defending champion Vladimir Vukicevic has made a made-to-measure start to the HTT Tour finals in 2017.

Defending champion Vladimir Vukicevic has made a made-to-measure start to the HTT Tour finals in 2017. The 3-time HTT-wimbledon winner from Serbia kept the upper hand against his club colleague Kevin Köck in the final singles match of the opening matchday in the early Saturday evening with 7:5.6:2 in exactly 76 minutes, and immediately registered his claim for the title at the HTT season finale at UTC La Ville. The 15-time tournament winner from Sombor, however, had to do hard work especially in the first set, and he also had the necessary luck on his side to finish in 10th place. individual victory of his career at the Masters level. Meanwhile HTT shooting star Kevin Köck became the unlucky guy of the day at his masters debut. After a great performance, Köck had three break chances in front of his chest in the first round at 5:5 and 0:40, before he failed miserably in the first set a few minutes later and couldn’t find his way back into the track during his first tour finals match at the Centercourt. A report by C. L.

Last year’s winner and defending champion Vladimir Vukicevic has started into his fifth HTT Tour finals according to plan. The 36-year-old experienced rider in the club-internal WAT-Landstrasse-Derby on Saturday evening against Kevin Köck managed the power relations in Baumgasse with a 7:5,6:2 victory and celebrated his third victory in the third direct duel with the sixth ranked player. However, Vukicevic had to fight hard at the centercourt of UTC La Ville in his first appearance as defending champion, before the resistance of his opponent, who had been playing great again at times, was broken. The match-deciding scenes took place at the end of the first set, after Vukicevic and Köck gave a sovereign performance as a serve and did not allow for a single break possibility. Then, however, the events at the center court came to a head. At first Köck had kept his nerve at 4:5 and against the loss of the set with a “To Zero Impact Game”, and afterwards he had thrilled the audience with three fantastic points – including two hammer hard returns – as a backstroke in the arena. Köck seemed to get the game under control after a nervous start, so it was all the more surprising for the spectators on site that Köck had to relinquish five points in a row, and after three missed break possibilities he was trailing by 5:6. An interesting and exciting constellation to watch was the result, and Köck gave his serve to the decisive break to 5:7, seemingly shocked by the big points awarded.

The November Masters Series 1000 winner did not find his way back to the track in this second Group B singles match against his club colleague. On the one hand because he himself was far from his best form at the beginning of the second heat, and on the other hand because no one was facing him with Vladimir Vukicevic. Weak periods can’t afford without consequences in such a top-class tournament as the Tour Finals, and certainly not when the 81-week number 1 Vladimir Vukicevic is lurking on the other side of the net. The 4-time Major-Champion crashed an early break and from then on, in the second set, he made his circles safely. Even with his own serve, the Serbian runner-up in the standings used the next service game at 5:2, which Köck denied rather weakly, even though he had no break chance. Köck twice equalized a forehand into the out, and after the 19-year-old was able to defend two match points at 0:40, his exact fortyth straightforward error sealed the 5:7,2:6 defeat at the start of his Masters debut, which was to be judged positive overall.

Basically, I am a little satisfied, not very satisfied, but also not dissatisfied. That was ok for the first match at the Masters, and I hope that I can improve during the tournament,”said Köck, who was of course asked again at the press conference by moderator Mathias Wagner about the three break chances at 5:5 and the presumably decisive scenes of this match” Of course, it’s very bitter that I didn’t make this game. Maybe I wanted to force it at 0:40 and make it too fast and that was just the wrong decision and maybe even stupid of me. In the end, it’s just bitter. If I had made this break, the first set might have gone in a different direction,”said the contestant in the field, who has not given up,” My goal for the rest of the tournament is clearly an increase to today’s match. I have to improve on the return, the service fit in my opinion. I will certainly give the remaining two preliminary round matches full throttle “, said Köck, who was also impressed by the tournament himself at the end of the discussion,” Yes, this is a great feeling here at the HTT Tour Finals. You feel like a real pro. I would also like to thank the organizer of the event, who put all this together. It’s a tough tournament, and I came to this tournament with the attitude that I could possibly lose all three matches, but I was also able to win all three matches, and I think you have seen it relatively well today,”Köck summed up his lost Masters debut.

After his sixth individual victory in the HTT Tour finals in series, a satisfied and relaxed Vladimir Vukicevic was seen at the final press conference:”It was a good match. I had a good preparation with my two tournament starts and it worked pretty well today. I was motivated, focused and I had a bit of luck in the first set, because Kevin deserved this first set. In one game, everything turned around and I took full advantage of it,”says the 36-year-old who is hoping for a successful Masters title defence.” The Tour Finals are my chance to show that I’m still there and can play well. I hope I can show myself in a good light and my goal is to win the title again. I’m not as sure as last year, but I’ve got a good feeling about it,”said the 3-time HTT Wimbledon winner, who is now one of the nine most successful players in Masters history with his tenth individual win at the Tour Finals level.