Dennis Novak is still missing a victory to qualify for the main field of the US Open 2018: The Austrian Davis Cup player defeated the Russian Alexey Vatutin in two sets. Sebastian Ofner, on the other hand, has been eliminated.
By Jens Huiber from New York City
Those interested in the best Austrian players after Dominic Thiem were well served on Thursday morning: The organizers had set the games of Dennis Novak and Sebastian Ofner on the courts 9 and 10, two places that are well understood from a grandstand.
However, the results were mixed: While Novak is preparing to qualify for the Australian Open and Wimbledon for the third time in 2018, this goal has already been achieved for Ofner. Novak defeated Alexey Vatutin from Russia 6:0 and 6:4, Ofner lost to South African Lucas Harris 2:6 and 1:6.
Novak did not let anything burn until 1:1 in the second set, dominating his opponent at will. After that there were six breaks in a row until 4:4 – Vatutin presented every time, Novak followed suit. To make his first match point clear. “The return worked well,” Dennis Novak explained immediately after the game. “I’ve always felt like I could break it.”
He is still slightly tarnished, but his tennis is basically on a good level. The early start of the game will definitely benefit him. On Friday, Danilo Petrovic or Lorenzo Giustino will move into the 128 grid in New York.
Right next door, however, Sebastian Ofner had to admit that Lucas Harris was no match for him on that day. The Austrian missed a few chances in the first set and had to call on the physiotherapist at 0:3 in the second act. After that, Harris didn’t let anything more happen, left as a safe winner of court nine.
Here is the men’s qualification tableau at the US Open