Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler are just one win away from a home win at the Erste Bank Open in the Wiener Stadthalle. The duo, which slipped into the competition thanks to a wildcard, won the final ticket on Friday with a 7:6 (7/4) 7:6 (7/5) over the Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen and will fight for the final on Sunday (11.45 a.m.). Title. For Philipp Oswald and his partner Robin Haase, on the other hand, it was over in the quarterfinals.
However, the opponents of the Austrians will only be determined on Saturday (from 2 p.m.) in the third match. Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and Maximo Gonzalez, who ended Oswald’s dream of winning at home in the quarter-finals, meet Mexico-Argentina duo Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.
Erler/Miedler took advantage of the moment after all four seeded duos were eliminated in the first round. The Austrians, who eliminated well-known pairings with Karen Chatschanow/Andrej Rublew (RUS) and Hubert Hurkacz/Marcelo Melo (POL/BRA) in the first two rounds, now have their best doubles ranking so far by reaching the final. In the event of a defeat in the final, Erler will probably appear as Austria’s new number one in doubles in position 57, Miedler in position 63.
Appearing in the final on center court is a reward for past performance. “We also wanted to play in the Stadthalle,” said Erler from Tyrol, who has been 25 since Thursday, and Miedler from Lower Austria, 26, about the fact that they had to play on the side court at Vienna’s Heumarkt. Erler/Miedler won four Challenger titles this year and reached further finals. Last year they won the ATP title in Kitzbühel and now have the chance of an Austria double.
Oswald “madly disappointed”
Oswald had to bury his hopes of winning at home alongside Haase with a 7:5 3:6 10:12 defeat against Cerundolo/Gonzalez and was therefore also “insanely disappointed. The opportunity was historic. All top teams were eliminated in the first round, the field was wide open. It’s super bitter.” The Vorarlberger will play a challenger in Bergamo next week this year.
How things will continue for the 36-year-old Olympic participant in Tokyo next year is open. He lost Haase as a partner and played with his compatriot Matwe Middeloop in 2023. In the first half of next year he doesn’t have many points to defend, so he wants to continue playing, Oswald said. “But with whom and where I start, that’s all open. Now I’ll finish the season and then the accounts will be settled.”
ATP 500 tournament in Vienna
(Austria, 2,489,935 euros, hard court/indoor)
