ÖTV: ATP Challenger Prostejov: Oswald reaches the end of the first season

After four straight opening defeats, Phillip Oswald has impressively clawed his way out of a trough in the results this week. The 38-year-old doubles veteran not only scored his first semi-final at the ATP 100 Clay Court Challenger in Prostejov on Friday, but also his first final of the season. Vorarlberger (116th ATP double) and Dutchman Matui Middelkoop (51st ATP double) first beat the Czech-Slovak pair Adam Jurajda (1778th ATP double) and Igor Zelenaj (318th ATP double) with a score of 6:1. And 2:6 and 10:3 in the tie-break of the match and the Poles Karol Drzewiecki (ATP Doubles 157) and Piotr Matochowski (ATP Doubles 111) with scores of 7:5 and 7:5. Then also Brazilian Fernando Romboli (ATP double 88) and Chilean Matías Soto (ATP double 163) with scores of 6:1, 6:7 (5) and 10:7 in the tie-break of the match. Oswald and Middlekob will compete for the title at the UniCredit Czech Open on Saturday. The opponents in the second match after 11:00 am are Belarusian Ivan Lyotaryevich (ATP Doubles 141) and Spaniard Sergio Martos Jornes (ATP Doubles 107). For Oswald, it's the 67th international men's doubles title of his long and successful career, and the 36th ATP title – his third in Brustejov after 2015 and 2019.

In the individual competition, two-time Austrian national champion Lukas Neumayer showed a lot. Salzburg (ATP 228) was first topped by Czech substitute Jiri Vesely (ATP 239), formerly ranked 35th in the world, 6:4, 6:2, then also his compatriot, ranked eighth, Dalibor Svercina (ATP 192), with a score of 6:0, 6:2 before. He was only eliminated in the quarterfinals against top-seeded Serbian Laslo Dijri (ATP 52) 6:7 ​​(5), 2:6. Denis Novak (ATP 207) was eliminated in three sets in the first round and Neal Oberleitner (ATP 559) in The second and final qualifying round.