Qualifier Quentin Halys defeated Mariano Navone 7-5, 6-3 in Kitzbuhel, capitalising on late breaks in each set. The Frenchman won 77% of first-serve points and saved 75% of break points faced, while Navone could not hold his serve at the key moments.
Navone broke early in the opener for 1-0, but Halys struck back in the eighth game (4-4) and broke again in the twelfth to seal the set. The second set featured a single break – Halys broke at 3-5, then served out the match. Halys saved all three break points he faced in the second set, a crucial turning point.
Halys' serving was decisive: he won 77% of first-serve points and fired six aces, while Navone managed just two. The qualifier's ability to save break points under pressure – 3/3 in the second set – proved the difference in a tight contest.