Sensation in Skopje

ÖTV youngster fights his way into the Skopje semifinals

Joel Schwärzler (ATP no. 664) has landed the biggest victory of his young career! In Skopje, the 18-year-old from Vorarlberg defeated Andrew Paulson from the Czech Republic 3:6, 6:4, 6:4 after a two-and-a-half-hour battle and has thus reached the semi-finals of an ATP Challenger tournament for the first time.

Schwärzler got off to a promising start against the current world number 158. While he won his first two service games without any problems, Paulson had to fend off three break points. The Czech then woke up in the fifth game, generated more and more pressure and finally used his fourth chance to break Schwärzler's serve - which was suddenly no longer so secure - to take a 3:2 lead.
The 22-year-old, who had made it to world number 123 in May 2023, then stabilized his game, won his next two service games to nil and secured the 6:3 set win with another break.

Schwärzler ice cold 
The second round was more open. Both managed to get through their service games more or less without any problems, Schwärzler had to fend off a total of three break points at 1:2 and 3:4. The decider then came in the ninth game: Paulson double-faulted twice. The young player from Vorarlberg made the most of this opportunity, taking his first break point to make it 5:4 and then easily serving out the match to tie the set.

Joel Schwärzler showed strong nerves in Skopje.(Bild: Sportmediapics.com/ Manfred Binder)

Highly dramatic decision
The deciding set began with a lot of fighting. Schwärzler missed two break points 
break points, but was then able to fend off three game points and finally converted his third chance to take a 1:0 lead. After the ÖTV youngster then managed to get his service through to zero, he missed two break chances in the third game and the opportunity to make it 3:0.
Bitter, because he was able to fend off a break point at 1:2, but Paulson took his chance to break back a little later and made it 3:3.
But Joel did not give up: At 4:4, with Paulson serving, Schwärzler was already 0:40 down before the Czech brought him back into the match with two double faults. After fending off two more game points, he used his first break point to take a 5:4 lead. A lead that he would not relinquish! After exactly 2:34 hours, he converted the first match point to win 3:6, 6:4, 6:4. A victory that catapulted him to 547th position in the ATP rankings.

In his very first Challenger semi-final, Joel will now face Gerrard Campana Lee (ATP No. 349), the South Korean won his quarter-final against Marco Cecchinato (Italy) 6:4, 6:2.