MAUTHAUSEN/STARNBERG, May 3, 2025
Neil Oberleitner and Cristian Garin delivered a spectacular showdown on Center Court in the quarterfinals of the Danube Upper Austria Open powered by SKE. After two and a half hours of gripping tennis, it was the Chilean who emerged victorious, edging out the 25-year-old Austrian 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-4 to book his place in the semifinals of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Mauthausen, Austria.
Oberleitner came agonizingly close to pulling off another upset. After dropping the first set, the home favorite staged a remarkable comeback, saving two match points in a dramatic second-set tiebreak to force a decider. He even grabbed an early break in the third set, sending the crowd into a frenzy, but couldn’t hold off the former World No. 17. Garin seized the momentum at just the right time, capitalizing on a few untimely errors from Oberleitner to seal the win.
The Austrian fans rewarded both players with raucous applause, turning Center Court into a cauldron of energy throughout the contest.
“It was a really good match, even though it obviously hurts right now,” Oberleitner admitted after the loss, mixing disappointment with pride. “I left everything out on the court. It was such an intense match with an incredible atmosphere. Coming back in the second set, fighting off match points, giving myself a shot in the third – that was huge. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster out there. But in the end, I had two poor service games in the third, and that made the difference.”
Garin, who has been dealing with minor injuries in recent weeks, praised his opponent: “He played great. I was really tight at times. I knew it would be tough if he kept that level up. I’m proud I managed to fight through. I was just a bit more consistent at the end.”
With the win, Garin advances to face Roman Andres Burruchaga in the semifinals. The Argentine booked his spot with a gritty 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Thiago Agustin Tirante in two hours and 37 minutes.
Jerome Kym from Switzerland, No. 5 seed Tomas Barris Vera of Chile round out the final four.
