Smooth two-set victory

Schwärzler throws out ex-Salzburg ace in Valencia

Joel Schwärzler, who has already reached the round of 16 in Valencia, is jubilant.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Reason to be happy for Joel Schwärzler! The 18-year-old from Vorarlberg has reached the round of 16 at the ATP Challenger in the 125 category in Valencia (Spain) after a 7:5, 6:4 victory over a well-known name in the Austrian Bundesliga. 

The Czech Vit Kopriva was under contract with the traditional Salzburg club STC for a long time and played for the team from Mozartstadt in the Bundesliga. The 27-year-old, who qualified for both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, is currently ranked 142nd in the world rankings, 230 places higher than the young player from Vorarlberg.

Perfect start to the match
But there was no sign of that at the Challenger in Valencia. Schwärzler, who had successfully fought his way through qualifying, got off to a perfect start and took Kopriva's first service to make it 1:0. However, the Czech was able to counter immediately. An open exchange of blows then developed, in which Schwärzler first pulled away to 3:1 before his opponent equalized again. 

The 18-year-old Harder then took the first break in the eleventh game to make it 6:5. Schwärzer kept his nerve on his own serve, fended off two break points from Kopriva and then took his second chance to win the set 7:5 after 58 minutes of play.

Strong nerves
In the second set, the former number one in the junior world rankings quickly managed another break for a 2:1 lead, which he then confirmed with his seventh game point in a 12-minute "marathon game" - in which he fended off two chances for Kopriva to break back. Schwärzler did not let this advantage slip away and confidently served out his first match point to win 7:5, 6:4 after a total playing time of 2:01 hours.

Second biggest kill for Schwärzler
Kopriva is Schwärzler's second biggest "kill" - in terms of world ranking - after the US American J. J. Wolf. The then number 102 in the ATP rankings defeated Joel 6:2, 6:1 at the Challenger in Savannah (US) in April.

The 28-year-old Brit Jan Choinski, the next top 200 player in the world, now awaits in the round of 16. The current number 177 easily defeated the Italian Federico Arnaboldi 6:1, 6:0 after exactly one hour.