Three Match Points Squandered! Schwärzler Loses in Plovdiv

The Austrian talent fails to live up to his billing as favorite and is eliminated in the first round of the ATP Challenger in Bulgaria.

Source text: © LAOLA1

Comments

Joel Schwärzler loses to Frenchman Maxime Chazal (ATP No. 439) with 6:2, 4:6 and 6:7 (9).

The 20-year-old Austrian returns unsuccessfully to the ATP Challenger Tour after a Davis Cup weekend where he did not play.

In the first set, he underlined his role as favorite. Three breaks gave him a comfortable 6:2. In the second set, he conceded a break at the most inopportune moment, making it 4:6 and leveling the sets.

Tie-break Battle of Nerves

The third set became a battle of nerves. Chazal already led 5:2, and Schwärzler's body language appeared dejected. Nevertheless, he fought his way back, even securing a break himself, and pushed the decision into a tie-break.

In this, mini-breaks rained down on both sides. Joel Schwärzler managed to earn a total of three match points in this tie-break, but he didn't capitalize on the opportunities presented to him consistently enough. Chazal converted his second match point to win 11:9.

For the Austrian talent, it is another frustrating experience, after he also only played a spectator role at the Davis Cup and had expressed his disappointment with the lineup even after the team's promotion.