Spaniard too strong

ÖTV youngster fails early in Bad Waltersdorf

Joel Schwärzler had to retire in round one in Bad Waltersdorf.(Bild: GEPA pictures)

After the Harder Joel Schwärzler had already failed two weeks ago at the ATP Challenger Tulln (Lower Austria) against the Russian Ivan Gakhov after a tough fight in round one with 7:6 (2) 4:6, 3:6, it caught the 18-year-old on Tuesday at the Challenger in Bad Waltersdorf (St) already in the opening round.

Against Spaniard Carlos Taberner (ATP No. 210), the Vorarlberg native had to concede his second service game at 1:2, but the youngster managed to break back immediately. However, the former world no. 85 was able to break Schwärzler's service again to make it 4:3, fended off a break point immediately afterwards and routinely played the first set home 6:4 after just under 48 minutes.

In the second set, both servers got through their service without any problems at the start. But in the fifth game, Schwärzler lost the thread again. Although he went 15:0 in front, Taberner then scored four points in a row to make it 3:2. Unlike in the first set, the young player from Vorarlberg did not manage to break back immediately, but the Spaniard got his service through without losing a point to make it 4:2. A lead that the 27-year-old did not allow to be taken away. After 1:22 hours, he converted his second match point for another break and left the clay court in Bad Waltersdorf as the 6:4, 6:3 winner.