At the French Open

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Even the day after qualifying for a Grand Slam tournament for the first time, Filip Misolic could hardly believe it. "The emotions are so enormous," beamed the 21-year-old Styrian. He has the chance to take revenge on Dominic Thiem on Monday. After Chris O'Connell withdrew, he will meet his qualifying opponent Otto Virtanen.

The fact that Misolic managed to qualify in Paris may also be due to the coaching effect. Misolic had been coached by Ante Andric for years. However, a few weeks ago, the two decided to part ways amicably. However, the son of Croatian parents remained loyal to his base in Zagreb. His new coach Velimir Zovko is also captain of the local Davis Cup team. Together with fitness coach Danijel Brajkovic and Filip's girlfriend Tina, he also accompanied Misolic to Paris. The trio proved to be a lucky charm.

In tennis, the second week of a Grand Slam is often referred to as the elite phase. Of course, this usually refers to the rounds from the round of 16 onwards. "But for me, this is already the second week," laughs Misolic, who continues to train in Graz. "I'd like to do it more often if the training facilities were better."

Of course, the fact that the sensational 2022 Kitzbühel finalist made his Grand Slam debut at his favorite tournament is no surprise. "Clay is still clearly my favorite surface," explains Misolic. Of course, the backhand is still his signature stroke. "But we've worked a lot on the serve and also on the forehand." The latter in particular was evident in his third qualifying round against Quentin Halys.

Suddenly a different opponent
Misolic will now face the man who ended Dominic Thiem's French Open career on Monday: Otto Virtanen. The Finn replaces Chris O'Connell, who was originally drawn as Filip's opponent. But of course the Styrian believes in his chances: "I'm still full of emotion. This victory has given me a lot of new energy."