Erste Bank Open
Young star Schwärzler receives third Vienna wildcard
Austria's young tennis star Joel Schwärzler couldn't believe his luck: The 18-year-old from Vorarlberg found out from tournament director Herwig Straka during a training session on Thursday evening that he would receive the third wildcard for the 2.626 million dollar Erste Bank Open after Dominic Thiem and Kei Nishikori (JPN).
"No, no, no! That's not true - is it?" said Schwärzler to Straka. This means that Schwärzler will make his debut at the biggest domestic tournament next week and also at ATP 500 level. "I couldn't believe it at first, it's a dream come true for me. I was actually expecting a qualifying wildcard, which would have been great." In addition, his past few weeks had not been so successful in terms of sport.
Goal: First victory in the Stadthalle!
"I'm extremely grateful to Herwig for putting his trust in me and giving me this wildcard," said a delighted Schwärzler, who won his first ATP Challenger tournament in Skopje this year. His goal is clear. "I don't just want to play, I also want to win my first match in the Stadthalle," he says with a fighting spirit.
Test phase with coach
A lot will also depend on the draw on Saturday (12.00 noon). Who knows, maybe it will even be a duel with the retiring Dominic Thiem. This would close a circle, as Thiem ended Thomas Muster's career with his first main event match in Vienna. Schwärzler will be coached in Vienna by Spanish coach Juan Ozon-Llacer, the ex-coach of Chile's Nicolas Jarry. "We are in a kind of test phase and are currently getting to know each other better. It's going very well so far," said Schwärzler.
"We want to give Joel Schwärzler the opportunity to present himself on the biggest domestic tennis stage. We are convinced that he will be able to gain very important experience that will be very valuable for him and can give him a boost for his future career," said tournament boss Straka, explaining the decision.
He has awarded the wildcards for the qualifiers starting on Saturday to the Lower Austrian Jurij Rodionov, the Frenchman Richard Gasquet and the Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
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