Thursday 02 September 2021
Tennis Marathonman Gojowczyk
The story of the German intruder in ten sentences
Peter Gojowczyk has been working and playing his way through the world of tennis under the public’s radar for many years. But the veteran always highlights amazing things. It’s that time of year again at the US Open. And it’s not over yet.
Qualifier Petr Jojowczyk is excited about his chance of reaching the last 16 of the US Open. Unlike Andrea Petkovic, Philip Kohlschreiber and Dominic Kupfer, the Munich man survived his second assignment on Wednesday in New York and reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. In five sets with 2:6, 6:4, 2:6, 7:5, 6:4 Gojowczyk defeated favorite Serbian Dusan Lajovic. “I’m really proud that I mastered it that way,” said the stranger of his best performance so far at a Grand Slam. “I have never lost my faith. I always have the feeling, when my body is fit, that I belong here too.”
In the first round, the referee mispronounced the name of the somewhat unknown German tennis professional. In the third round, the 32-year-old will meet Henri Laaksonen on Friday and can hope to reach the top 16 round. The Swiss, ranked 130 in the world, reached the main field of the US Open as well by qualifying. After several injuries, former Davis Cup player Gojowczyk is only 141st in the world rankings. Against Lajovic, he left no rain behind or put his blocking leftovers around the first match point a little over three hours later. Already with his victory in the first round over the 23rd seed of France Ugo Humbert in five sets was not expected.
“Ultimate happiness”
The underdog, who traveled to New York without a coach, said: “I’m very happy with my performance. If you have three qualifying matches, it helps a lot. It helps a lot when you have confidence.” Gojowczyk ranked his third-round entry after his 2017 ATP title at the Metz and his successful Davis Cup appearance in 2014. The Munich man – as a blatant outsider of course – defeated then-world French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga with 5:7, 7: 6 (7:3), 3:6, 7:6 (10:8) and 8:6 – over four hours, frequently characterized by convulsions.
But for the German trio, the last Grand Slam of the season ended in the second round. Black Forest’s Dominic Kupfer clearly missed the hoped-for upset against Russian co-conspirator Daniel Medwidio in the second round and didn’t have a chance in 4:6, 1:6, 2:6.
For 37-year-old Philip Kohlschreiber, the US Open ended after 4:6, 3:6, 1:6 against Spaniard Pablo Andujar. Petkovic was eliminated 4-6, 2-6 against former Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza of Spain. “If I hadn’t really played in the past four weeks the way I did – I would have stopped after the US Open. But that is still alive,” the 34-year-old Darmstadt native said. German tennis player Angelique Kerber’s match against Ukraine’s Anelina Kalinina has been postponed to Thursday, late in the evening in New York, due to rain and the extension of Hurricane Ida.
