Matthias Wolf opts for last semi-final ticket for HTT tour finals 2017

Only in the very last set of this year’s preliminary round phase is the decision on the last set to be made…

It was only in the very last set of this year’s preliminary round that the decision was made on the last semi-final place to be awarded at the HTT Tour finals in the UTC La Ville, which will take place until Saturday. July-HTT-500-winner Matthias Wolf completed the final round quartet with a surprisingly clear 6:3,6:3 victory over last year’s finalist Alexander Schager with the leader of the leaderboard Lukas Prüger, Serbia’s defending champion Vladimir Vukiceivc and November-Masters-Series-1000-Champion Kevin Köck on Thursday evening, making it the second mast. After losing two preliminary rounds, the 29-year-old had gone into the final sixth matchday of the group stage without victory, and was only allowed to calculate his chances of promotion to the top 4 before the Night Session with Schager. Thanks to Lukas Prüger and a solid performance, however, it was enough, while last year’s Styrian finalist Alexander Schager, who was not in top form this year, had to give up his dreams of a new appearance in the knockout phase of the HTT season finale at Altmannsdorf branch after exactly 70 minutes played. A report by C. L.

In the end, there was one sentence missing in terms of figures, but at the final press conference and a joint review of his second appearance in the HTT tour finals after 2016, it became clear that Heuer was far more lacking than the missing set in Group A’s final table. Alexander Schager is simply not in the form in which he caused a sensation as a tour finals rookie last year, and in the semi-finals with a rarely seen gala show HTT-US-Open-Champion Gabriel Jovanovic disenchanted. Even though the long overdue first HTT career title stands after the end of the 2017 season, the Schager performance of 2016 was rarely seen until never this year. Not even last night in the all-decisive night session against the fourth ranked Matthias Wolf, which ended disappointingly for Schager. Correspondingly, the journey home via the change will have been bitter.

The starting position before the fourth direct duel of the two HTT Top Ten stars was clearly defined. After Prüger’s two-set win over Beutler, Wolf had to win in two sets, while Schager’s first set would have been enough to advance to the semi-finals. The statistic speaks for the Upper Styrian, who won the previous three duels against each other, and who won the premiere title at the last meeting a month ago in the final of the October HTT 500 tournament. But all the figures and statistics were sound & smoke, when the duo were called to the center court four minutes after 11 p. m., despite the advanced evening in front of an audience that was still numerously “left” among the sounds of the masters’ anthem “whatever it takes” by HTT star presenter Mathias Wagner. Even though they later denied in the press conference:”They were nervous, the spectators at the edge of the square had not escaped that, and that was then demonstrated far into the first set on the court. The semi-finalists staggered into a brutal orgy of error, from which even the occasionally superbly played rallies could not distract. Wolf couldn’t get rid of his nervousness when he conjured up a sovereign and nil-won service game on the Centercourt right at the beginning, and Schager would have had every reason to make the battle of semi more quiet and stable with a 3:1 lead that included a break. But instead, the 22-year-old from Leoben missed a match ball for the 4:2 with a forehand beaten into the net, and promptly took the first break for the 3:3. The beginning of the end, because Schager didn’t make a game in the first set anymore, but instead produced 23 unforced mistakes.

The excitement in the hall was, of course, well served by Wolf’s 6:3 first set, because now the group stage had a real final. Whoever would win the upcoming second set should then be allowed to go to the Centercourt again on Friday evening in the semi-finals. The characteristics of the match, however, did not end very well. The two protagonists of the evening continued to make mistakes in the running band, but that didn’t matter in the end. For this game was already alive with the long-forgotten tension, and not so much with playful highlights. It was not a feast for the eyes, but it was always dramatic. In the first game, Schager missed the chance of a break, the 2-0 lead and above all the pressure on the wolf, who is forced to win. On the contrary: Schager did everything to keep Wolf out of critical situations. At 2:2 and a 40:15 lead, the Styrian achieves the feat of lifting his opponent to the break with two double mistakes. He, on the other hand, cannot make use of this gift and “pisses off” himself with a re-break, which he received by return post. The climax of unpleasantness and the decision was to see it then in the ominous seventh game, when Schager immediately to zero because of the plan failed to pass his serve to 4:3. Wolf again had a break lead, and 10 minutes later he had every reason to clench his fist for the victory, and was happy to enter the semi-finals. 6:3,6:3,6:3 after 70 minutes with 71 errors produced together. If you want to see a good match in the hall that night, you have to be a fan of both of them or urgently visit an optician!

“I have to say, I’ve never really found my way to my game today. I’ve never really had the ball at the bat, as they say. I’ve never felt 100% comfortable, and then you hesitate when it’s important. That’s the reason it finally failed. Matthias made a lot of mistakes today, but if it was important, he didn’t give me anything. Then I had to make the points, and the security to play away the balls is just missing, as I mentioned before. He was the better player in the important situations, and he is definitely the deserved player in the semi-finals, he played all the games in this tournament better than I was,”said Schager, who also failed to make use of a 3:1 lead in the first set.” I know that I can play better, maybe I should have waited for a few mistakes, but Matthias also found his way into the game,”says Schager,” but he was the one of the most important players. I had a mixed year this year with lots of ups and downs. Finally, I have solidly played the last tournaments, but never excelled. Last year I played more uncompromisingly, perhaps expectations were different in 2016. Maybe this year I’ve been thinking too much about my tennis, and I’ve been thinking too much instead of playing it. The conditions on the pitch were certainly different this year as well,”concluded the 22-year-old from Leoben.

At the final press conference host Mathias Wagner wanted to know how the first emotions were after the match ball had changed,”I was delighted and a huge stone fell from my heart. This is a huge relief, because I finally won a cutting match. My goal was to get through the group stage. From the paper form I was the number 2 in the group, of course with Schager and Beutler on 3 and 4 in the group this is a huge challenge. I am really happy about the victory,”beamed the 29-year-old,” For me it was very important not to win the 1:4, it was a real cutting game in the first set. Before that, I risked too much and made too many mistakes of my own. After that I changed my strategy, went more to Percentage, played less angles and less risk, not least because I didn’t have the touch at the beginning. But as time went on, I found my safety, and then I was able to fight my way into the game,”said Wolf, who is now facing titleholder Vladimir Vukicevic in the semi-finals,” I’m already expecting a match at eye level. At the last final, I had a super start and was 4-0 ahead before I lost the match. I am already very confident, not least because the surface is sure to suit me very well here. We start at 0-0 and I am looking forward to tomorrow. Honestly. I didn’t really count on the semi-finals and therefore have nothing to lose. Now, of course, I want to reach the final.