This time, the match was played on the larger #glaubandich Court. Although there was no outright winner in the encounter between Austria’s two leading players, both had plenty of reasons to celebrate. Packed stands and spectacular rallies made it a perfect showcase for wheelchair tennis.
“Thank you to everyone who came out again today to watch wheelchair tennis. The entire week has been fantastic and great fun. Today was the perfect finale. Nobody won the match, but we are all winners,” Langmann said afterwards.
Taucher also thanked the crowd and his team: “Thank you to all the spectators, but also to the coaches and parents – without them, we wouldn’t be here. It was a great honour for me to be part of the Erste Bank Open and an incredible experience.”
From Langmann’s perspective, this year’s wheelchair tennis tournament powered by win2day took the concept to the next level.
“We had two additional players in the field, which also meant more work in terms of logistics, scheduling and everything surrounding the event. Thank you to Herwig and his team for making it happen. Having Maxi as a second Austrian in the tournament was fantastic.”
Mutual respect
Langmann believes his compatriot, who is around ten years his junior, has a bright future ahead of him.
“Maxi is very advanced for his age. He is eager to learn and determined to keep improving. Alongside his qualities on the court, that is extremely important. He also has a fantastic team around him and is making great progress in every area. For me, it is great to have several Austrian players competing at a high level.”
Taucher immediately returned the compliments.
“Nico has had a fantastic career. He is not only a great player but also an outstanding ambassador for wheelchair tennis. I can learn a great deal from the way he conducts himself both on and off the court. Hopefully, we will have many more exciting encounters over the next few years.”
Straight afterwards, the two packed their tennis bags and headed for Wiener Stadthalle, where the all-British dream final between Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid awaited …
