KITZBÜHEL/STARNBERG, July 22, 2025
Austrian No. 1 Filip Misolic made a memorable return to the Center Court at the Generali Open Kitzbühel, evoking memories of his stunning run to the final in 2022. In front of a sold-out crowd, the 23-year-old from Graz fed off the energy of his home fans to claim a dramatic three-set victory over Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Tuesday.
Misolic took the opening set 7-5, before Etcheverry responded in kind to level the match with a 7-5 set of his own. In the decider, it was a key break at 4-2 that tipped the balance in Misolic’s favor. The Austrian held his nerve to seal the win after two and a half hours, to the delight of the vocal home supporters.
Home favourite Misolic battles past 5th seed Etcheverry 7-5 5-7 6-3 #GeneraliOpen pic.twitter.com/lkqackx0rE
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 22, 2025
“I’m incredibly happy to win this match,” Misolic said afterward. “I’ve recovered well in the past two days and feel really good on court. Playing in front of this crowd again is just amazing – I can’t wait to experience it all again in the second round.”
He now faces Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, who outlasted Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a physical contest earlier on Court Küchenmeister. “It will be a tough match,” Misolic admitted. “We’ll prepare well and come up with the right strategy together as a team.”
Hanfmann and Struff edge past Austrians
German veterans Yannick Hanfmann and Jan-Lennard Struff, both qualifiers, continued their impressive form by dispatching Austrian hopefuls in Tuesday’s action, turning Kitzbühel into a mini Davis Cup-style battleground.
Hanfmann defeated Lukas Neumayer 7-5, 6-2 in a match that saw the Salzburg native fail to convert a set point at 5-4 in the first. From there, the German seized control, setting up a round of 16 clash with Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, the 2022 Kitzbühel champion, who famously beat Dominic Thiem in the final.
In the day’s second Germany vs. Austria encounter, Struff avenged his Roland-Garros loss to Sebastian Ofner with a clinical 6-4, 6-2 win. The 34-year-old German now faces a tough test in third seed Pedro Martinez. The Spaniard reached the Kitzbühel final in 2021, where he fell to Casper Ruud.
Seyboth Wild halts Engel
Germany’s Justin Engel looked poised to join Hanfmann and Struff in the last 16 but fell short against Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild. Despite leading by a break in the second set, Engel couldn’t capitalize and went down 7-5, 6-3.
Meanwhile, France’s Arthur Cazaux fought past Peru’s Ignacio Buse in another three-set battle, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, wrapping up an eventful day of high-stakes tennis in the Austrian Alps.
