2023-08-30 01:34:50
The ITF W60 tournament in the 23rd district in Vienna can hope for Austria’s numbers 1 and 2 to compete.
Since 2006, UTC La Ville has traditionally hosted an ITF women’s tournament every summer (except for the Corona year 2020). Starting back then with an endowment of 10,000 US dollars, the international clay court event in 2023 will make a real quantum leap. Held from 2019 to 2022 as a $25,000 tournament, this year the event has moved up into the ITF W60 category for the first time – with prize money now totaling $60,000. The Alpstar Ladies Open Vienna from September 4th to 10th is the largest women’s tennis professional event in Austria this year after the Upper Austria Ladies Linz (WTA 250). “Of course it is a very important tournament for women’s tennis in our country,” said ÖTV sports coordinator and Billie Jean King Cup captain Marion Maruska. “Last year we had a $60,000 event in Pörtschach for the first time, this time it’s in Vienna. This is a further step in the direction of professionalizing the tournaments in Austria, so that we also have tournaments for women at almost all levels.”
A prize money increase of a whopping 140 percent – a challenging undertaking, as Raimund Stefanits, managing director of UTC La Ville and tournament organizer, can only confirm. “The increase was not easy, but ultimately we want to explore what is possible with us. It was possible thanks to partners who make it possible for us, above all title sponsor Alpstar; it would have been impossible without Josef Gfrerer. But the support from ÖTV and ITF was also a very important step for us. This time the city of Vienna is also on board, as are our long-term, important partners such as the Sportunion Wien, which lives sport, as well as Babolat, Brau Union and of course our close and good partnership with the WTV From Stefanits point of view, this is an urgent necessity: “Last year we tried everything to set up another top tournament, a 25,000-US-dollar event, of the likes of which there are very few. But unfortunately we missed the Austrians, which is not conducive to a tournament like this. After the best players in the WTA ranking and above all in their performance have increased enormously, it was necessary to increase the endowment significantly.
Goal: “A top tournament with the best Austrians”
For Austria’s number one Julia Grabher, as the current number 54 in the world, an ITF W60 tournament in the world rankings no longer brings the big leaps – “because she has catapulted herself into the extended world top,” said Stefanits happily. Nevertheless, the Vorarlberg native is fortunately on the entry list: “We have a promise from Julia that if she is eliminated from the US Open in the first week, she will come to La Ville, and we are very proud of that. Julia has played many tournaments at UTC La Ville since she was 12 – and now she’s coming back as a world-class player. I can only take my hat off to their performances,” Stefanits praised. The very early exit at the Grand Slam tournament in New York that was necessary for a start in Vienna happened to Grabher on Monday, unfortunately earlier than hoped and not on the tennis court. Because of a wrist injury sustained in training, the Dornbirn native had to cancel her US Open main competition debut at short notice. So there is probably a question mark over her start at the Alpstar Ladies Open Vienna.
Grabher’s absence would be a bitter pill, but overall Stefanits was confident: “We want a top tournament with the best Austrians – and we should succeed.” Because next to the top Austrian player there is also the red-white-red Number two Sinja Kraus (WTA 208) on the acceptance list. To Maruska’s delight too: “Of course it’s great that Julia and Sinja both want to play – and I hope that I can win both before the Billie Jean King Cup against Mexico (November 11th/12th in Multiversum Schwechat; note) again in action here.” However, that was by no means the end of the Austrian phalanx: “With Melanie Klaffner and especially with Tamara Kostic, who has made a top development, there are other top Austrian players at the start,” revealed Stefanits, the latter, who was only 17 years old at number 797 in the WTA ranking, handed over one of the main competition wildcards. The two owned by the Austrian Tennis Association were given to Klaffner (WTA 1316) to a long-standing and loyal national team player and to 22-year-old Arabella Koller (WTA 1021). On Monday, September 4th, the tournament will open with the qualifiers. Admission is free on all match days.
supporting program
Wednesday, September 6, 9:00 a.m. to approx. 12:30 p.m.: Trainer workshop with Petra Russegger in cooperation with NÖTV and WTV
FreitagSeptember 8, 6:00 p.m.: Players’ and sponsors’ party with music
Saturday September 9th: ProAm tournament with Hans Kary & Co.
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