Vienna, October 15, 2014
On Wednesday, the final first round matches as well as the start of the second round at the Erste Bank Open took place. Sixth-seed Ivo Karlovic took out former two-time Vienna champion Jürgen Melzer winning 6-4, 7-6. The Croat served 21 aces, broke the Austrian in the fifth game of the opening set, saved a set point at 5-4 in the second frame to eventually win the tie-break.
“I didn’t really have the feeling to play a tennis match today. Nonetheless, I have to admit that he was really solid at the net. In the second set I got closer to gain a break point but in these situations, Ivo played solid points,“ Melzer explained afterwards. Karlovic will meet either top-seeded David Ferrer or Tobias Kamke in the quarterfinal. The German defeated Simone Bolelli 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 after two hours and 15 minutes in his first round match.
Kamke’s compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber was also successful beating Carlos Berlocq 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. The German capitalized on three of his four break points to seal victory in one hour and 45 minutes.
Philipp Kohlschreiber advanced to the quarterfinal
Earlier the day, a public news conference with Andy Murray was held. The world number 11 from Dunblane talked to the media and the spectators, answered questions and signed autographs. Murray has come to Vienna with a particular goal: “I will try to play my best tennis. If I am able to achieve this, I will have a good chance to win the tournament. Yet, there is a strong and competitive field here and the surface is pretty fast. In such conditions it is often the case that only a few points decide the entire match,” the Scot said.
Andy Murray with the fans in Vienna
Murray will play his opening match on Thursday against Canadian Vasek Pospisil. “I have never played him before but we practiced together in China three weeks ago. In his first match here in Vienna, he served 27 aces, so I will have to return pretty well,” the 27-year-old told and added that he also still want to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November. “It is always a big goal for me to be part of the final showdown but firstly I have to play well in the last two or three tournaments before London. Of course I’ll be happy to qualify in the end,” Murray stated.
The tournament’s second seed arrived on Monday afternoon and seems to feel good in Austria. “Vienna is impressive. Yesterday, on my way to dinner, I passed the opera and a couple of more historic sites. I hope that I can stay here for some more days having the opportunity to visit more places of interest,” Murray said. “The Centre Court is very nice and the atmosphere inside the Wiener Stadthalle is great,” he added and is looking forward to his opening match.
Andy Murray during his visit at Cafè Sacher in Vienna (photo: Bildagentur Zolles KG)
