Alex Molcan thanks 2021 for his improvements in better discipline and working with a mental coach
Alex Molcan has enjoyed a breakthrough in 2021, won her virgin Challenger title in Liberec and even get to a championship match at a higher level, losing to Novak Djokovic in Belgrade. The 23-year-old is currently chasing his debut appearance in the top 100, playing his last tournament of the season in Helsinki.
Molcan was already very close in Bergamo and Bratislava, losing the semi-finals to Holger Rune and Tallon Griekspoor, respectively. This time, a great opportunity opens up earlier in the round, as the Slovak would succeed in winning Oscar Otte in Helsinki on Friday (Sebastian Baezin would have to win the championship in Campinas, while Feliciano Lopez and Holger Rune would get to the last Pauh to throw him out).
“Of course I have it in my head. Now I’m one win away, so of course I can be nervous, but I don’t think it’s anything negative, I don’t think before the match that I have to win or something, I’m just playing my game.” , said the 23-year-old, asked if he feels the extra pressure because he is so close to getting into the top of the world.
Coping with a hard opening
Molcan was almost out of the tournament in the first hurdle and went to Tim van Rijthoven in the decisive round. The Dutchman’s weaker service game allowed him to equalize and the 23-year-old made sure he plunged into the semifinals. Molcan was frightened in the middle of the match because he had to call a physiotherapist because of his thigh. In the second round against Shintaro Mochizuki, the Slovak recorded it. “It was better than yesterday, so I recovered pretty well.”
This season, Molcan has broken into a new level and reached a milestone after a milestone. However, the Slovak doesn’t think it’s about improvements to his game. “It’s a 100% mindset, including discipline. I started working my head with my mental coach and it helped me a lot.
Whatever happens on Friday, Molcan can’t expect his semi-finals to be straightforward. Oscar Otte won two Challenger titles in the previous three weeks and somehow he has had a season as brilliant as his opponent, as highlighted by his performance in the fourth round at the US Open.
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