With wildcard

Joel Schwärzler in the main draw of the Erste Bank Open

After Kitzbühel, Joel Schwärzler from Harden can now also serve at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer/Kronenzeitung)

Great joy for Ländle ace Joel Schwärzler! The 18-year-old, who actually only had a wildcard for qualifying at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, has now been given an "upgrade" for the ATP 500 tournament. The Harder player can now go straight into the main competition.

"I was training when Herwig Straka came and told me that I'd been given a wildcard for the main event. I couldn't believe it at first. It's like a dream come true!", cheered Ländle ace Joel Schwärzler after receiving the good news from the tournament director.

The Harder was actually given a wild card for the qualifiers. "Which would have been great for me," the youngster clarified. "I'm extremely grateful that I was given the confidence. It wasn't clear, the last few weeks weren't such that you had to say that Schwärzler had to get one."

In Kitzbühel, Schwärzler had to admit defeat to Thiago Seyboth Wild.(Bild: GEPA)

Goal in sight
However, the 18-year-old now has a clear mission in mind for Vienna, where he will be making his second ATP appearance after Kitzbühel. "I don't just want to play, I want to win my first match," says Schwärzler, "I have to do my things very well for that. But the opportunity is definitely there."