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In an all-Austrian battle in the first round in Kitzbuhel, Sebastian Ofner defeated Lucas Miedler 7-6, 7-6 for the first ATP win since February 2018. Ofner served at only 48% but no one could have noticed that, facing three break points and getting broken once.
Miedler competed for the first victory on the ATP level and did his best to stay in touch with the better-ranked opponents, saving four out of five break chances and falling short in both tie breaks to end on the losing side.
Returners had no opportunities in the opener and Ofner claimed the tie break 7-1, falling 4-2 behind in the second after an early break for Lucas. Sebastian broke back at love in game eight and claimed the last three points from 4-5 in the breaker to seal the deal and reach the last 16.
Losing the previous five matches on the Tour, Philipp Kohlschreiber came to Kitzbuhel determined to change that, beating another experienced player Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and six minutes for the third triumph over the Frenchman in five encounters.
The German lost 16 points in nine service games, suffering two breaks and taking more than a half of the return points for 12 opportunities, converting five to control the scoreboard and earn the 18th win of the season. They traded four breaks in the first six games to stay locked up at 3-3 before Philipp claimed 12 of the last 15 points for a 6-3.
Carried by this momentum, Kohlschreiber lost four points behind the initial shot in set number two, stealing Gasquet's serve in games one and three and sealing the deal with a hold at 5-2 to stay on the course for the third Kitzbuhel title.
Pablo Andujar defeated the 6th seed Leonardo Mayer 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 for the first win over the Argentine since 2015. Andujar saved three out of five break points and delivered four good return games, stealing the second set with a break in game eight and rattling off the last four games at 2-2 in the decider to move into the second round.
World no. 326 Jozef Kovalik earned the first ATP win since Hamburg previous year when he was the semi-finalist, edging Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours and 17 minutes, repelling all six break points in the final set and seizing the only opportunity to cross the finish line first.
Casper Ruud ousted the 8th seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in an hour and 35 minutes, dropping only nine points on serve in sets one and three to mount the pressure on the Spaniard who couldn't endure it, allowing the Norwegian to take 20 of the last 25 points and marching into the next round.
Gstaad champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas took down the 5th seed Marton Fucsovics 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 after a grueling three hours and 11 minutes for the first victory over the Hungarian. Albert won one point more than Marton, fending off 13 out of 15 break chances to limit the damage in his games and converting the sixth set point in the second to extend the encounter and grab a break at 3-3.
Fucsovics wasted four break points in game ten, missing the opportunity to level the score at 5-5 and make the battle even longer. Jaume Munar toppled Thomas Fabbiano 7-6, 1-6, 6-1, dominating in the final set to claim the last five games for the 17th win in 2019.