Hamburg. After the Hamburg European Open was canceled in the city park, the organizers are looking for an alternative in Hamburg.
The relationship between the former creators of the Tennis tournamentsam Rothenbaum and the Eimsbüttel TV has been good and friendly for a long time. After all, the ETV pitches at Lokstedter Steindamm have been regularly used as a training facility for the professionals in recent years. Now it even seems possible that Hamburg European Open for women will be held there from July 20th to 26th.
After the short-term cancellation of the tournament on the THC grounds in the city park, Horn Hamm is the tournament director Sandra Reichel feverishly looking for an alternative location in the Hanseatic city. As a reminder: It is not possible to play at Horn Hamm because the Berlin rapper Finch is giving two sold-out concerts in the neighboring open-air stage on the semi-final and final day.
However, according to organizer Karsten Jahnke, these concerts were already scheduled for June 2nd and 13th, 2023. Sandra Reichel, however, only announced THC Horn Hamm as the venue for the tournament on November 12th. Something must have gone wrong with the vote.
Tennis: Sandra Reichel wants to stay in Hamburg
Reichel would definitely like to stay in Hamburg, but is also looking for alternative options outside of the Hanseatic city. “We ask for your understanding that we are not commenting on the ongoing search for an alternative location,” she explained in response to an inquiry from the Abendblatt: “We want to announce a decision as soon as possible.”
According to Abendblatt information, negotiations with the ETV tennis board have been going on since the middle of the week. In fact, the club was the first point of contact before those responsible for the tournament decided on the site on Saarlandstrasse because of the better logistical conditions for travel and setup, parking spaces for TV sets and the like.
DTB awarded rights for ATP tournament to another agency
The WTA tournament, whose rights are held by the Reichel family, had to leave the Rothenbaum because the German Tennis Association (DTB), as the rights holder of the men’s ATP tournament, decided to sign an hosting contract with the Spanish company from this year until at least 2028 Complete Tennis.
The Reichelt family’s “Matchmaker” agency had been organizing the ATP tournament since 2019. In the past two years, a combined women’s and men’s tournament was held at Rothenbaum with great success. This is no longer possible with the new rights situation. The Hamburg ATP tournament will take place as the “Hamburg Open” from July 13th to 21st at Rothenbaum.
ETV tennis department celebrates 100 years of existence
After the inauguration of the large sports center in 2021, the ETV facility, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its tennis department at Lokstedter Steindamm this year, offers good conditions for a professional tournament in the smaller 250 category, such as the Hamburg European Open at the WTA are. All the necessary rooms are basically there.
As part of the 15 million new building on the former parking lots of the football and tennis departments, for example, three new tennis courts were created that could serve as a center court if the two outer courts were built with tubular steel stands. There are a total of twelve pitches on the site, all with floodlights. Three “all-weather pitches” remained available for members to use during the tournament week.
Angelique Kerber has already agreed to start
The restrictions for “normal” athletes would be significant for around ten days. The demands of the WTA are great. And the area is not only used by tennis members, but also athletes who take gymnastics, yoga and other courses there. During this time, the large fitness studio would no longer be usable for its customers who pay fees as studio members. The question of access to the integrated daycare center needs to be clarified. And so forth.
ETV CEO Frank Fechner finds the idea of major women’s tennis taking place on “his” facility fundamentally exciting. A performance by three-time Grand Slam winner Angelique Kerber (36), who has confirmed her participation in the tournament, at Lokstedter Steindamm would be spectacular and a highlight in the anniversary year.
ETV has to convince 900 members
There is also a nice personal story: Tamara Korpatsch (28) from Hamburg, number 75 in the world rankings, once started her career at exactly this point. As a little girl, she trained with her father Thomas on the tennis courts at ETV before moving on to the big world of tennis.
But the first chairman of the ETV tennis department, Patrick Przeworski, and head coach Michael Hirsack still have to clarify numerous questions – and also get their approximately 900 members on board. For example, the tournament clashes with the holiday youth camp, for which Hirsack has already received over 60 registrations.
WTA tournament would bring many restrictions
The tennis hall would be closed from July 12th to 30th because ball children, linesmen and referees are to be accommodated there. The WTA would like to occupy ten rooms in the sports center for physios, doctors, etc. from July 16th. The gym would be reserved for the players from July 17th to July 29th at the latest.
Nine places are not available to members. Fortunately, there are no league games due to the summer holidays. Nevertheless, such restrictions can (and will) lead to criticism. Especially since places one to three would only be playable from July 30th due to the dismantling of the stands.
more on the subject
Finally, there needs to be coordination with the operators of the “Elimar” restaurant in the building, who are tenants of ETV but operate independently. Staff and players would be fed there from July 15th to 27th. The restaurateurs have already accepted some firm reservations for a wide variety of events.
So it won’t be easy. And Sandra Reichel may have to take the women’s tournament somewhere else. That would be another setback for the self-proclaimed sports city of Hamburg.
2024-05-10 13:39:31
#Angelique #Kerber #playing #Eimsbütteler
