After Novak, Misulic also reached the quarterfinals in Bad Waltersdorf

Following Denis Novak, Filip Misiewicz also reached the quarterfinals of the €145,000 ATP Challenger Tennis Championship in Bad Waltersdorf the next day. In Saint-Tropez, another Austrian, Sebastian Offner, reached the quarter-finals.

Mizolic, the former Kitzbühel finalist from Styria, had an easy time in the duel with Italian star Fabio Fognini: the former world number seven, who looked listless, was clearly injured and gave up after 38 minutes with the score 3:6.0:1d. Misulic will now face either Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP-4), the last seed in the Liguet Open, or Czech qualifier Petr Noza on Friday. Novak faces Briton Jan Choynski.

“I’m happy that I reached the quarter-finals. It’s unfortunate that it ended this way, but Fabio has a fever,” Misolek said in an interview with ORF TV. Fognini, known for his antics, apparently told others about his back problems, as Tournament director Peter Westner said. Mizolic did not care about the exact reason, after all, he had already received 25 points and a prize money of €3,990.

Sebastian Offner advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP Challenger tournament in Saint-Tropez on Thursday. Austria’s current best tennis player narrowly beat Ukrainian Oleksiyl Krutych after 1:50 with a time of 4:6.6:3.6:4. In the fight for a place in the semi-finals, the 27-year-old will face either Constant Lestin or Harold Mayotte (both FRA) on Friday.

Ofner is expected to move up several places in the standings from 59th. He has only managed to achieve his big goal of the season, breaking into the top 50 for the first time, with the title this week. (APA/Ed.)