Filip Misolic continued his impressive form on Monday, securing a spot in the main draw of the Nordea Open after a straight-sets victory over Sweden’s Olle Wallin, 7-6(2), 6-2, in the final qualifying round.
The Austrian, who climbed to No. 105 in the ATP rankings earlier in the day, started strong and never lost control of the match despite some spirited resistance from the Swedish wild card. Wallin, ranked No. 491 in the world, kept things close in the opening set, producing more winners than his opponent (24 to 19) and matching Misolic’s energy with bold shot-making.
Misolic raced to a 3-0 lead with dominant serving and an early break, capitalizing on what appeared to be physical fatigue from Wallin, who had battled through a grueling semifinal the previous day — a nearly 2.5-hour match against Viktor Durasovic that featured two tiebreaks.
The Swede fought back to level the score at 5-5, breaking Misolic and showing flashes of his powerful baseline game and delicate touch at the net. However, the Austrian held firm, forcing a tiebreak where he quickly took control. A steady start and early mini-break gave Misolic the edge, and despite Wallin briefly closing the gap to 3-2, the 23-year-old Austrian closed out the set with a 7-6(2) scoreline.
With momentum on his side, Misolic took full command in the second set. Breaking early and holding comfortably, he surged to a 4-0 lead with clean hitting and pinpoint accuracy. He finished the match with 8 aces and won an impressive 79% of points behind his first serve, compared to Wallin’s 58%.
Wallin managed to stay in the contest briefly, saving a match point and reducing the deficit to 5-2, but Misolic remained composed and closed out the match on his serve to seal the 6-2 set and a place in the main draw.
Misolic now looks ahead to his first-round match in Bastad, carrying strong momentum and high ambitions into the tournament.
The Austrian, who climbed to No. 105 in the ATP rankings earlier in the day, started strong and never lost control of the match despite some spirited resistance from the Swedish wild card. Wallin, ranked No. 491 in the world, kept things close in the opening set, producing more winners than his opponent (24 to 19) and matching Misolic’s energy with bold shot-making.
Misolic raced to a 3-0 lead with dominant serving and an early break, capitalizing on what appeared to be physical fatigue from Wallin, who had battled through a grueling semifinal the previous day — a nearly 2.5-hour match against Viktor Durasovic that featured two tiebreaks.
The Swede fought back to level the score at 5-5, breaking Misolic and showing flashes of his powerful baseline game and delicate touch at the net. However, the Austrian held firm, forcing a tiebreak where he quickly took control. A steady start and early mini-break gave Misolic the edge, and despite Wallin briefly closing the gap to 3-2, the 23-year-old Austrian closed out the set with a 7-6(2) scoreline.
With momentum on his side, Misolic took full command in the second set. Breaking early and holding comfortably, he surged to a 4-0 lead with clean hitting and pinpoint accuracy. He finished the match with 8 aces and won an impressive 79% of points behind his first serve, compared to Wallin’s 58%.
Wallin managed to stay in the contest briefly, saving a match point and reducing the deficit to 5-2, but Misolic remained composed and closed out the match on his serve to seal the 6-2 set and a place in the main draw.
Misolic now looks ahead to his first-round match in Bastad, carrying strong momentum and high ambitions into the tournament.
