The final of the Prater Cup Futures 2018 is ultimately a clear matter for the number…
The final of the Prater Cup Futures 2018 has ultimately become a clear matter for the tournament’s number 1. The top seeded Valentin Kaftan from the 1st Klosterneuburg Tennis Club overtook Marco Pecik, who was handicapped by the adductors, in only 46 minutes 6:1, 6:1, and advanced in the 59th HTT tournament of the year to the 50th winner’s face of the current season. With 40 points for his debut title, the 15-year-old also made it into the top 150 of the HTT computer rankings for the first time. From the Prater in Vienna reported for hobbytennistour.at C.L
Actually, the stars of the HTT future scene are more in the background in terms of media. At the latest after the cancellation of the 250cc final on early Tuesday morning due to the injury of local hero Jiri Marik jun., the two Prater Cup future finalists Valentin Kaftan and Marco Pecik moved directly from the second row into the spotlight of the big HTT stage. With live tickers, a centre court performance and a big award ceremony, the two Future Aces suddenly had to save the final day of a traditional tournament that didn’t go as planned for a long time and was also hanging by a thread due to the weather. At first, the Prater Cup lost the eagerly awaited final of the 660th clay court tournament of the Open era. WAC ace Jiri Marik jun. had injured himself the night before in the double semi-final on the beating arm and had to confirm his decision not to start. Russia tour newcomer Konstantin Samlukov secured the 250cc title in Rustenschacher Allee, and after last year’s premiere with the success of Moris Ahmetasevic from Bosnia ensured the second international victory in series.
When in the afternoon the obligatory Prater Cup rain moved over the grounds in Vienna-Leopoldstadt with heavy showers, the final day seemed to fall into the water for good. However, the host club still had an ace up their sleeve. The secret star of the Prater Cup 2018 appeared for the last time. Shovel, broom, a tractor, above all however incomprehensible commitment and highest authority, Günther was back, and made the “Grande Finale” in the Rustenschacher Allee possible with a last tour de force. At 6:42 pm, almost three quarters of an hour after the planned start, Valentin Kaftan and a forehand winner had opened the 59th season finale and the supposed race against darkness on a cloudy evening.
First of all, it wasn’t a race against the darkness, but a sprint of the number 1 seeded Valentin Kaftan, who came relatively simply against the nervous and accordingly acting opponent to an early and safety-giving 3-0 lead. To zero Pecik shortened in the fourth game with own serve on 1:3, but the first game of the 17-year-old stood at the end only as honour game at the imaginary display board, and not as starting signal for a catch-up chase hoped for from view Peciks. On the contrary, nine horror minutes followed for Pecik, who had to leave a total of 14 points in a row to his opponent in this phase and had long since hoisted himself onto the losing streak at 1:6, 0:1. For while Pecik only flashed his potential and ability during all the holy times, and increasingly often grabbed the adductors with a pain-distorted face, Kaftan unwound his program unimpressed and in the style of a great veteran.
The new Prater Cup Future Champion is just 15 years old, and a footballer in his actual sporting life. Vali”, as he is called by his friends and parents, only picks up his tennis racket during the summer break, and this makes his premiere success at the HTT even more remarkable. Perhaps, however, the secret of Kaftan’s success lies precisely in this constellation. Valentin plays for pure pleasure, has fun, no pressure on ranking points and rankings, and simply enjoys the time on the courts of this city. Kaftan really enjoyed the last minutes of the final, in which he still had to take the break to 1:1, but finally fixed the crystal clear 6:1, 6:1, success with 5 games en suite. Together with WAC President Martin Kirnbauer and the 2012 Indoor State Champion Christian Trubrig, he took a photo at the award ceremony before the two local greats presented him with the legendary golden Prater Cup.
“I am very happy about the outcome of the final and very happy about my first tournament victory on the hobby tennis tour. It wasn’t as easy today as it might have looked from the outside. Fortunately I was able to keep my concentration, and of course Marcos injury spoke for me,” said the winner, who is now also highly motivated for Kitzbühel. “Kaftan was aggressive for the upcoming highlight in the Tyrolean mountains, while Marco Pecik commented on his defeat in his first HTT career final: “In the quarter-finals I took the wrong step. I went to the doctor twice, it didn’t help. But giving up in the final is the wrong option and was out of the question for me. I would have liked to have shown more, even to the spectators who were here especially for me. But I will attack again at the next futures, and then we will see where the journey goes. Hopefully high up,” says the 17-year-old.