The semi-finals of the Wheelchair Tennis Tournament powered by win2day took place at the Marx Halle on Friday. Hundreds of fans turned the Fairplay Court into a cauldron of noise. The atmosphere reached fever pitch when Austrian home favourite Nico Langmann rolled onto the court.
The 29-year-old, currently ranked world No. 35, entered his semi-final against 37-time Grand Slam champion Alfie Hewett without any pressure. What followed were spectacular rallies and loud support from the crowd before the overwhelming favourite Hewett secured a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
“I was able to enjoy it and compete well,” Langmann said. “Winning four games against a top player like Alfie is no small achievement. At times, I played really well, but then he showed once again why he has won 37 Grand Slam titles and spent years as world No. 1.”
The tournament’s “Playing Ambassador” had fulfilled a childhood dream the previous day by recording his first victory at the Erste Bank Open.
“The atmosphere was fantastic on both days. Thank you to everyone who came here to support us. There were so many familiar faces in the crowd, and it created a real goosebumps atmosphere. I never had an opportunity like this as a child, so it is even more special that events like this have now become a natural part of the tournament.”
All-British dream final
In the other semi-final, defending champion Gordon Reid, currently ranked world No. 5, recorded a surprisingly comfortable victory over Spanish world No. 3 Martin De La Puente. The Briton prevailed 6-2, 6-3.
Reid had even raced into a 6-2, 5-1 lead. “The first 13 games were probably the best I have ever played,” he said. “Everything felt easy, and it was an indescribable feeling. It became a little tighter towards the end, but Vienna seems to suit me.”
Saturday’s final at the Wiener Stadthalle, scheduled for 12:30 pm, will feature the blockbuster encounter between Hewett and Reid. The British duo have won 26 Grand Slam wheelchair doubles titles together, making them the most successful partnership in the history of wheelchair tennis. They also claimed the doubles gold medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
“I still remember last year’s final very well,” Reid said. “The atmosphere was excellent, and the spectators showed a genuine interest. Hopefully it will be similar this year. I would certainly take the same result again.”
All-Austrian showdown at the Marx Halle
Two doubles exhibitions followed Friday’s singles semi-finals at the Marx Halle. In the encounter between Austria and Great Britain, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid defeated Nico Langmann and Maximilian Taucher 6-2, 6-1.
Martin De La Puente and Alwande Sikhosana of Spain and South Africa then completed the day with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italy’s Luca Arca and Germany’s Christoph Wilke.
The eagerly awaited all-Austrian exhibition will take place at the Marx Halle on Saturday, with Nico Langmann facing Maximilian Taucher from 11 am.
