Generali Open 2022: organizers are happy about the "best atmosphere of our era"
The winner of the Generali Open Kitzbühel 2022 is Roberto Bautista Agut . The Spanish veteran ended Filip Misolic's tennis fairy tale in the final of the Kitzbühler sand court classic. Despite some challenges, the organizers draw a positive balance and are happy about the Davis Cup atmosphere, full ranks, enthusiastic Austrian players, many celebrities and a mega backdrop at the Generali Open Kitzbühel 2022.
by p.m
last edit: Jul 30, 2022, 07:06 pm
Filip Misolic's journey at the Generali Open 2022 in Kitzbühel was exciting, entertaining and enthralled the spectators throughout the week. After all, the 20-year-old, likeable Styrian is only the second player in 18 years to make it to the final on his tour debut - in front of a home crowd. In the final of the traditional ATP Tour 250 tournament, it wasn't quite enough for Misolic, who was rightly described as a sensation man, to have a happy ending: "I really enjoyed every moment here and it's a dream for every tennis player to be in such a final stand. I'm very happy that I was able to play five matches in front of such an audience. The audience gave me a lot of strength, without them I wouldn't have made it all here, ”said Filip Misolic, who will make up 80 places in the world rankings in his first appearance at the ATP Tour level and as expected number 135 in the world will be the best-ranked Austrian in the rankings from Monday.
The Generali Open Kitzbühel winner 2022 is called Roberto Bautista Agut. He is the first Spanish Kitzbühel champion in nine years. For the Spaniard it was the eleventh tournament victory of his career, the second this year after the triumph in Doha: "This center court is incredible. I was able to play almost every match in front of a full crowd and it was very special to experience this atmosphere here. I enjoyed every single game and am overjoyed to win the title."
The title in doubles went to two players who otherwise celebrate their successes in singles: The Spaniard Pedro Martinez and his Italian partner Lorenzo Sonego defeated the duo Tim Pütz and Michael Venus 5: 7, 6: 4 and 10 :8th.
Organizers take stock
“It was a challenging week, but a beautiful one. With lots of highlights, starting with the full ranks, the tennis euphoria and the young Austrians, who gave us countless goose bumps. The best atmosphere of our era”, the tournament organizers Herbert Günther and Markus Bodner are happy with tournament manager Florian Zinnagl. 45,000 tickets were issued during the week, plus around 600 people every day who strolled through the grounds without a ticket and with free entry and were able to watch world-class tennis for free at the Grandstand and around 1000 accredited - tournament employees, exhibitors, ATP, players and supervisors as well as tournament guests: "If sometimes 7000 people are on the move on the facility a day, then you reach the limits with the current infrastructure. That's why we don't want to chase records, but want to find the perfect mix: perfect everything and increase quality so that players, fans and partners feel comfortable. That's more important to us than any record and we'll continue to work on it," emphasize the organizers.
Continuing to work is also the keyword when it comes to the challenges: "Sunday was a horror with the cancellations, also because you lose credibility as a tournament and ATP through no fault of your own, even though the two top seeds cancel at such incredibly short notice," said tournament director Alexander Antonitsch: " There is work to be done here too. With rules for players that make it harder for them to cancel at such short notice. We are involved here in ATP working groups that are working on solutions.”
In 2023, next year, the tournament will take place from July 29th to August 5th and thus a week later, then hopefully with the new special regulations of the ATP: "Anyone who plays well in Kitzbühel gets a bye in Canada or can play in Canada get in later. This gives players more time and ultimately more money. If the player is in the final in Kitzbühel or celebrates a win, he can exchange the Kitzbühel result for a possibly worse result in the 1000 tournament - that's what the players are interested in," says Antonitsch.
In 2024, the tournament organizers are aiming for a date that is just before the Olympic Games, like in 1992: "In 1992 before Barcelona there was the best Generali Open of all time, we want to go back there," say Bodner and Günther.
Here is the individual tableau in Kitzbühel
kitzmap