In addition to the difference in terms of ranking and experience, qualifier Ofner, who is in the top 100 for the first time, already has six matches under his belt – including the 3:54 hour game against Fognini. In any case, Ofner is aware of the role of the clear outsider. “I don’t expect anything. I’ll try to play my game and see how it works and whether I have to change anything in the match,” said coach Wolfgang Thiem’s protégé.
Tsitsipas has been a top ten player for years. “In my eyes, that’s one more track above the others. So far I’ve played two or three times against a top ten player, so I can’t expect much.” He has also played against the Greek before, in 2017 in the qualifier for Antwerp there was a 7: 6 4: 6 4:6. Back then, Tsitsipas made it to the semifinals and into the top 100 for the first time. He hasn’t left it since then, is now consistently in the top ten and is hoping for his first major title. At this year’s Australian Open and 2021 in Paris he was in the finals.
“It can also be uncomfortable for him”
“He can do everything – if you’re in the top ten, you have to. He’ll try to put me under pressure with every shot, he serves really well, it’s going to be a really difficult match,” says Ofner. But of course he doesn’t give up beforehand. “If I play well, play aggressively, serve and return well, it can certainly be uncomfortable for him too.”
With 180 ATP points and 240,000 euros gross, Ofner has written more than ever before, both in the ranking and on the account. 360 points or 400,000 euros are at stake for the quarter-finals. Ofner has the best and most important insight before the game against the two-time Monte Carlo winner and ATP Finals winner in 2019: He is already in 80th place and the top 100 will probably be in his pocket for the rest of the year. This means he can increasingly leave the challenger level and play more on the ATP tour. “Yes, I think that I’ll be among the top 100 this year, I can’t really believe it,” he said happily.
With the right attitude
His long ordeal after a heel wedge in his left foot is finally a thing of the past. Another recipe for success is the attitude in the head: “I don’t think about how a hit or a result was, I just play.” Despite four Challenger finals this year and the current run in Paris, Ofner does not look at it yet zenith. “I haven’t had a run in a match where I played above or way above my means until now. That’s why it feels really indescribable.”
Against Tsitsipas, who started the tournament a bit “rusty” but then acted confidently, Ofner will have to step up several gears. In his press conference, the Greek stated that he had seen a little of Ofner’s match against Fognini. “I know that the clay court suits him very well. He has also had good results on clay in the past. You may not often see him go far in Masters 1000 tournaments or 500s, but I’m sure he’s very comfortable with his tennis right now,” said the 24-year-old. It will be a “very different challenge” for him because otherwise he will compete against players he sees on the tour. “But I will approach the match with seriousness and professionalism.”
French Open in Paris
(France, Grand Slam tournament, €49.6m, clay)