Lukas Prüger still immaculate and prematurely qualified for the semi-finals

Season’s high-flyer Lukas Prüger seems to be on his way to success this year’s HTT-Tour-Finals-De…

Season’s high-flyer Lukas Prüger seems to be continuing his run of success this year in his HTT tour finals debut, and as the second player after Serbia’s HTT superstar Vladimir Vukicevic is in the semi-finals of the big HTT season finale of the Top 8 at UTC La Ville ahead of schedule. The 19-year-old remained victorious in his second qualifying round game on Tuesday evening after his Sunday canter victory over Alexander Schager in two sets against ranked fourth ranked Matthias Wolf, and before his final duel with HTT-Wimbledon finalist Christoph Beutler, he cannot be pushed out of the top 2 of group A. He is now in the top 2 of the group. For the young star from Schwechater TC, who also successfully arranged his second match as HTT’s new number 1, it was also the individual victory of the season No. 40 and career single success No. 70. Contrary to Group B, Matthias Wolf, who is still victorious after two matchdays, can continue to hope for a place in the semi-final of the HTT Tour finals in 2017. A report by C. L.

To the current number 1 a fight lasting almost an hour and a half and especially over long distances equal fight delivered, and in the end nevertheless lost. With this conclusion, SKVS-flötzersteig star Matthias Wolf had to leave the Centercourt in the UTC La Ville on Tuesday evening after a 4:6,4:6 defeat against Lukas Prüger and face the various interviews and press conferences in the hall. While many in the HTT community might have reckoned with a clear canter victory for the first ranked player in the third season’s duel with Wolf, the 29-year-old master’s debutant did his best, but above all with a playfully more than successful performance against the seemingly overpowering opponent. And perhaps Wolf missed the big chance in the opening single of the fourth matchday at the “Finals” to join Kevin Köck, Adrian Vorhemus and Alex Stokker in a list of the elitist and exclusive group that managed to add a defeat to the season in 2017. The best in the HTT branch did not seem untouchable in his second preliminary round match at the center court of the UTC La Ville. Three times in a row, the number 1 missed to confirm a break in the first set alone and close the bag early. It was only in the fourth attempt after another 0:30 deficit that the 19-year-old, with his second set point and a concluding service winner, was enough to win the first set after 41 minutes in front of his “wife Mama”.

Prüger first used the “Flow” after winning the first set to a quick 2-0 lead, also because Wolf did not succeed on his own serve, and especially on the second serve he had problems with the monster return tournament on the other side of the net. As monstrous as Prüger “beat” the returns to the opponent’s field in this phase, so dilettantisch for his circumstances the six-time season’s winner in his next service game set himself up with his own serve. Two double mistakes in a row, Wolf had finally won two of his serve games and turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Prüger countered, took the lead 5:3 before the final phase at the center court once again offered all facets of tennis. First of all, there was a great Matthias Wolf, who delighted his fans cheering in the hall with one or two magic balls and shortened it to 4:5. And then there was also the theme of suspense and drama in this preliminary round duel, when Prüger couldn’t use half a dozen match points. Only in the seventh attempt and after a longline beaten backhand winner was the “difficult birth” over. 6:4,6:4 after 84 minutes, Prüger had thus increased in the Head to Head to 3:0, won the season’s victory No. 40,200 points were credited to his ranking list account, and to spread it over the 70th place. individual victory of his young HTT career. Then we went to the Playes-Lounge for dinner together with our mum, before the ranked leader of Schwechater TC together with his opponent answered the questions of presenter Mathias Wagner at the press conference.

“It was a bit of an interplay between genius and madness today. I played some unbelievable balls and made fatal mistakes again. On the whole, however, I am satisfied because it is never easy to play against Matthias. Because he plays the ball back really well and also plays well when he comes along,”says the winner, who was also addressed to his service performance:” The service performance was of course fatal. My quota on the second serve was mainly underground, but I hit the ball pretty well at the moment. The constancy may be missing a little bit. I’ve had a hard time concentrating today because I was tired and maybe it’s also important to do so,”says Prüger, who also found many other reasons for the many breaks,” Matthias is returning very well, and it’s generally not easy to get his serve through here, because the course isn’t that fast either “. Prüger, on the other hand, sees his chances for the rest of the tournament as positive:”I’m just looking at myself. I would like to finish the group first, and if I can retrieve my game, it looks good that I can do the same thing,”HTT number 1 explained.

I have looked at the statistics now and it is true that I have definitely been broken far too often today. My balance at points after the first and second serve reads catastrophically, but I am very satisfied with my return performance and that I could turn the 0:2 in the second set to 3:2. 6 match points in the last game of the match were fought off, moderator Mathias Wagner was of course worthy of a question:”The game was at eye level, that was really close, but the Luki played the balls of the match damn good and close to the lines. and I didn’t have a single break chance at 5-5. I fought off the match points well, except for the last one. Even what if, even if I had played 5-5, I don’t really think I would have won the second set because of that,”said Wolf, who still has a chance at the semi-finals before the final group game despite two defeats and appears fully motivated,” I will go into the match with the same attitude as in the other two games. I want to win, see what else works. After all, it’s still about 200 points for the ranking list, and I’d like to write a letter at this great event,”says SKVS Flötzersteig’s ranking list fourth.