Right at the start, the Fairplay Court witnessed a sensation: Alwande Sikhosana of South Africa stunned the favored Dutchman Maikel Scheffers 7-6, 7-5 to book a semifinal clash on Friday with the No. 2 seed, France’s Stéphane Houdet.
In doubles, Joachim Gérard (BEL) and Gordon Reid (GBR) lived up to their billing as favorites, defeating Stéphane Houdet and Maikel Scheffers 6-2, 6-1.
By early evening, the Fairplay Court began to fill rapidly – hundreds of spectators had gathered to watch local hero Nico Langmann. Even before the first serve, every seat was taken, and fans stood around the court, creating a true stadium atmosphere.
But top seed Joachim Gérard, a six-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, left nothing to chance. Langmann rallied bravely in the rallies, but the key points went to the Belgian. Time and again, Langmann earned game and break points, but couldn’t convert any of them. Despite the 0-6, 0-6 result, the Vienna crowd celebrated him with loud cheers and chants.
“What can I say? You lose 0-6, 0-6 and still get celebrated by the fans. It’s incredibly beautiful and overwhelming,” said a tearful Langmann. “Unfortunately, the result and parts of my play didn’t quite work out, but it was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
His recent physical struggles – after recovering from an elbow injury, Langmann had been dealing with back problems – were still noticeable. “When you’re not at 100% against players of this caliber, and then start to feel a bit shaky, it gets tough.”
Fans can still look forward to more action from the Viennese player: in doubles, Langmann will team up with Sikhosana, facing Scheffers/Houdet on Friday as the third match after 1:30 p.m.
