ATP Generali Open: Torture in Kitzbühel without a chance against Istomin

Maximilian Marterer retired at the Generali Open 2018 in Kitzbühel: The last remaining German lost to Denis Istomin in the quarter-finals in two sets.

By Jens Huiber from Kitzbühel

Not a single break point in the entire match – that is the best summary of Maximilian Marterer’s working day on Thursday. Opponent Denis Istomin, on the other hand, also showed teeth as a recoil, won Marterers first service game for 2-0 in the first set. And did not look back: 6:3 and 6:3 the result from the point of view of the Uzbek, who will either meet Nicolas Jarry or Matteo Berrettini in the semi-final on Friday.

After the retirement of Dominic Thiem, Dennis Novak and Philipp Kohlschreiber on Wednesday, Marterer was the last remaining German-speaking player in the individual tableau – and due to his world ranking position, he was also a slight favourite in the match.

Istomin, on the other hand, has been in Kitzbühel since Friday, playing extremely well at high altitude – even though he was about to drop out in the second qualifying round against Thiago Monteiro. After the success against torture, however, the 31-year-old in Gamsstadt can do anything. Especially since with Dusan Lajovic only one seeded player is still represented in the competition. And with Nikoloz Basilashvili just last week a qualifier could win a big ATP tournament, namely in Hamburg.

In Kitzbühel the grief about the elimination of local favourite Thiem on Wednesday evening was palpable, but the ranks at the first match of the quarter-final day were still well filled. And the sympathies were more on the side of torturers. What Istomin didn’t care about – the experienced man took wind out of the sails of torturers from the very beginning.

Here the single tableau in Kitzbühel