Message from 02/13/2023
The preliminary skirmish is over, the serious part begins: At the women’s tennis tournament “Burg-Wächter Ladies Open” in Altenkirchen, after the qualification and draw, the games of the main draw start. In the pot for the winner are 80 world ranking points and a bonus of 9142 US dollars.
Altenkirchen. Now the 32 players who are in the main draw of the tenth women’s tennis tournament “Burg-Wächter Ladies Open” know which possible opponents their way to the final triumph will lead them to. The draw early on Monday afternoon (February 13), the referee Dr. Nico Naeve (Hamburg) was the start of high-class tennis in the US$ 60,000 competition (singles and doubles) in the “Burg-Wächter Matchpoint”, the quadruple hall on the Altenkirchener Glockenspitze. The first game of the decisive phase begins on Tuesday, February 14, at 10.30 a.m., with Naeve determining the sequence of matches for each day. The winner, to be crowned Sunday, February 19, earns $9,142 and 80 WTA World Ranking points. Tamara Zidansek (Slovenia) and Eva Lys (Hamburg) are number one and two, Victoria Kuzmova (Slovakia) and Ylena In-Albon (Switzerland) number three and four. Anna-Lena Friedsam (Neuwied) and Sara Errani (Italy) each withdrew their entry at short notice due to injury or fatigue. Joint organizers are the Christian non-profit sports organization SRS and the Lob tennis school, and Razvan Mihai, the “inventor” of the Open, is acting as tournament director for the tenth time.
A colorful tableau for ten years
“When I see our tableau, how colorful it is at the tenth year, then I can be very satisfied,” Mihai summed up before the first main draw comparison was even decided. It is a pity for him that Errani, already number five in the world in 2013 and five-time Grand Slam winner in doubles, had to pass due to injury. According to the tournament director after a conversation with the coach of the 35-year-old, she had been trying to play in Altenkirchen for years. Above all, it is the breadth that makes Mihai proud – as always in recent years. “I counted once. Many of the players who reported to us were in the qualifying or even in the main draw at the Australian Open in Melbourne,” he said, attributing the sporting value of the renewed gallop appropriately from his point of view. He is happy all around. In total, players from 38 nations have taken part in the game since 2014. Looking back further, he reported on “many beautiful moments” in the past decade and explicitly mentioned the award as the best tournament 2018 in Germany. The fact that no cancellation had to be made despite the corona pandemic was the key for him that the event did not have to die. Because a resumption after cancellation(s) might have meant its end.
Big praise from Barbara Rittner
“Razvan, you’re doing a great job. The conditions here are like those of a WTA tournament,” praised Barbara Rittner, the head coach for women and the female junior division in the German Tennis Association (DTB). There are only two winter tournaments – namely in Hamburg and in Altenkirchen. “The world of sport is our guest here, and we serve sport in the world,” said Daniel Mannweiler, CEO of SRS, characterizing the event. The Burg-Wächter company is committed to promoting young talent, first to athletics and football and now to tennis, said Christopher Lülling, CFO of the title sponsor, as the reason for the financial investment. And Naeve, who was in office and dignified for the first time in Altenkirchen, drew a first positive conclusion even before the start of the peloton: “I was warmly welcomed. The ITF would be lucky if all tournaments were organized so well.” And Lys stated: “I like coming here, I know almost every other person and I’m looking forward to a great week. Thanks to the great organization and support, I always feel at home. Happy Birthday!”
Krejcikova and Mertens
So Mihai once quickly rummaged in his memories and in his infinite knowledge of women’s tennis, looked back to the past to document that players had already completed the competition (with more or less great success) in order to start good careers afterwards . As a good example, he named Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic), who won the singles in Paris (Roland Garros) in 2021 and is currently number three in the world in doubles, on the Glockenspitze in 2015 in the second round against Andrea Lottner (Düsseldorf) had to strike the sails. From this perspective, Mihai also saw the Czech Karolina Muchova, who was already 19th in the world rankings (May 2019) and lost in second sets in the W25 final in 2019 to Harriet Dart from England. The 26-year-old is currently 117th in the ranking. Elise Mertens (Belgium) was also a guest at the Westerwald gate. Currently number 37 in the world (best ranked 12th in November 2018), she made it to the quarter-finals in 2016, losing out in straight sets to Oceane Dodin (France).
Maria and also Niemeier
Once in the flow, Mihai also thought of Magdalena Rybarikova from Slovakia, who retired from tennis at the age of 32 in October 2020 after finishing 17th in March 2018. In 2017 she failed in two sets at the AK Ladies Open in the semi-finals against Quirine Lemoine (Netherlands), but four months later she advanced to the semi-finals in Wimbledon (1: 6, 1: 6 against the Spaniard Garbine Muguruza). “That’s just tennis,” said Mihai, “even spectators call me and say, ‘Look what this and that player did’.” Tatjana Maria (35 / Palm Beach Gardens / US state Florida) gave herself 2015 the honor was and had to bow to Lottner in the quarterfinals with 5:7, 2:6. Already number 46 (November 2017), she is now ranked 72 at home. Maria caused a sensation last year when she advanced to the semi-finals at Wimbledon and failed at Ons Jabeur (Tunisia), but did not receive any world ranking points due to special tournament regulations. Praised as a great German hope, the carpet in Altenkirchen is not a good surface for Jule Niemeier (23/Dortmund). With five (!) participations since 2017 (only not in 2018) she never made it past the quarter-finals (2021), but made headlines when last year in the quarter-finals on Church Road it was Maria who was the terminus in the quarter-finals. Niemeier is currently number 69 in the WTA ranking and was already 61st in November 2022.
Still a springboard
Due to the participation of some older players, Mihai does not see that the meaning of the tournament, which was propagated in previous years, to be a stepping stone for young players on the way up in the world rankings, is counteracted. “The purpose of the tournament is still to be a stepping stone,” he put it into perspective, stating that some players who had already started in Altenkirchen had moved up the rankings, such as Julia Middendorf (Vechta/20). or Nastasja Schunk (Mainz/19). “I know that almost every player works hard and wants to get back up.” If someone “who didn’t make it directly into the main draw at the Australian Open with the world ranking place wins in Altenkirchen, scores 80 points and also in other tournaments If you collect points, the path to the main draw may be open in Roland Garros,” Mihai outlined what he believed to be the valid way of thinking in the active circle, “for us as the tournament organizers, this can only be a super good thing. The springboard is there for 95 percent of the players who are here in the tournament.”
Only Qatar Open classified higher
Greet Minnen (Belgium/2022), Clara Tauson (Denmark/2021) and Lys (2020) traveled to Altenkirchen as former winners. A look at the schedule of the WTA and the World Tennis Association (ITF) shows how important the competitions are in the district capital: At the same time, only the better classified Qatar Open (endowment 780,000 US dollars) is played. There is also another 60,000 tournament (plus hospitality) in Irapuato (Mexico). The rest is less endowed: three 25,000 in Antalya (Turkey), Glasgow (Scotland) and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and five 15,000 (Manacor/Spain, Sharm el Sheikh/Egypt, Monastir/Tunisia, Ipoh/Malaysia and Jhajjhar/India).
The schedule and where to get tickets
The schedule (all games in live stream via the ITF website and the tournament website www.bw-ladies-open.de) – Tuesday, February 14th to Friday, February 17th, 10:30 a.m. main draw and around 7 p.m Night Session with the “Match of the Day”; Saturday, February 18, around 12:00 p.m. Singles semi-finals, doubles semi-finals; Sunday, February 19, around 12 noon, doubles final, followed by singles final. Admission prices (each day ticket/children under 6 years of age have free entry without a seat) – Tuesday, February 14th/Wednesday, February 15th: 10 euros adults (6 euros students); Thursday 16 February: 14 euros (9 euros); Friday 17 February: 16 euros/10 euros; Saturday 18 February: 24 euros/14 euros; Sunday 19 February: 26 euros/15 euros. Season tickets for the entire tournament week 62 euros/40 euros. Tickets for all days are available in the SRS Sportpark or at the box office. (vh)
Local: Altenkirchen & surroundings
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