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Generali Race 2022: Kitzbühel is calling, a Cupra Born beckons!

For the first time in this year's Generali Race to Kitzbühel season, the weather gods had an understanding with the ambitious hobby players! In early summer conditions and above all without a single rain interruption, the second stop in the eastern region in the Generali Race to Kitzbühel 2022 ended yesterday Monday after an extensive and intensive tennis weekend with 126 entries from ten nations and five federal states. And while the amateur players in the west of the country still have to wait for their season premiere, in eastern Austria one or the other hobby player can already look for accommodation in the Tyrolean lowlands after the second qualifying tournament.

by Claus Lippert
last edit: May 17, 2022, 09:58 am

The Generali Race to Kitzbühel attracts all top hobby players
© private/Claus Lippert
The Generali Race to Kitzbühel attracts all top hobby players

Who will contest the overture to the Kitzbühel ATP final?

Dominic Thiem made his commitment to the Generali Open in Kitzbühel a few days ago, so nothing should stand in the way of a tennis festival in the Gamsstadt with thousands of fans in the week from July 23rd to 30th, 2022. And in the middle of the glitz & glamor world of the ATP circus, and as VIP guests, there will also be eight hobby players in the last few days of July who competed in the tiebreak shootout at the big final tournament Mode with handicap system will advance to the quarter finals. Two of the lucky gentlemen from the last eight will even experience the total feeling of an ATP professional on the final weekend on the full center court in the Kapserfeld stadium, and with all the ingenious background noises such as the stadium marching in, referees, line judges and ball children the overture for the give big ATP finals. Then it's also about the 43,000 euro Cupra Born, which served as motivation and eye-catcher for the amateur players at the Union Tennis Center La Ville last weekend.

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For Inas Sarajlic, after the title double in the ITN 4.0 competition, the final tournament in Kitzbühel is within reach

In terms of sport, the second appearance of the Kitzbühel final tournament applicants brought well-known successful faces from the premiere event to this time's winning photos. In the ITN 4.0 category, the No. 2 seeded title favorite Inas Sarajlic collected his second crystal and, with his second title win at this year's Generali Race to Kitzbühel, clearly took the lead with a maximum of 20 points in the intermediate ranking Great, and probably already on the entry list for the final event on Goinger Sand. In the final against Germany's Milan Volbert, the 17-year-old showed an inconsistent performance, but showed nerves of steel in the decision. A 2: 6 in the match tiebreak turned Sarajlic into a 10: 8, so the youngster from WAC took a big step towards the Tyrolean Unterland. In the ITN competition 5.0, an old acquaintance made the headlines of the weekend. Stefan Schaaf, once feared in tennis circles as a living ball machine in his prime, lived up to his role as favorite despite a resounding victory in the semifinals against Andreas Fuchs, especially with his convincing final performance against US boy Michael Juritsch.

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Title double pack for the 50th birthday - is there even a car for Sascha Rybak at the end of July as a belated gift?

Two pieces of crystal at home in the living room, that has also been in the Rybak house since Monday evening. After his success three weeks ago at the season premiere of the Generali Race to Kitzbühel, Sascha Rybak didn't skimp on the second qualifying tournament either, tied up the title double pack in the ITN category 6.0 just on the weekend of his 50th birthday, and as the second two-time champion next to Inas Sarajlic, he probably has more than one foot in the big final tournament for the Cupra Born in Kitzbühel. At the Generali Race to Kitzbühel, Rybak has been unbeaten in the ITN 6.0 class for seven matches and, with 20 points, is the superior leader in the race towards Gamsstadt. On the way to his eighth career tournament win, by the way, the birthday child Sascha had to endure a few anxious moments. In the semi-final against Stefan Kroisleitner, the veteran had to fend off no fewer than four match points in a narrow 4: 6, 7: 6, 13:11 win, and the win in the final over the Slovenian youngster Ivan Pivko also fell 6: 4, 1: 6, 10:8 gossamer.

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Tournament victory for Kyrgyzstan, and the 11-year-old Jan Kayser with a promising talent test

Erik Rakhmatulin provided the obligatory exotic touch at the last Generali Race to Kitzbühel weekend. The 26-year-old was in a class of his own in the ITN 7.0 competition, won his first career title without losing a set and, after reaching the semi-finals in the opening competition three weeks ago, another important 10 points in the race. Above all, Rakhmatulin is responsible for the first tournament victory of the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The final of the ITN 8.0 competition revealed very hot candidates for the main prize at the Generali Race to Kitzbühel. Ferdinand Holdhaus and Elias Siegmund thrilled the audience under floodlights on Monday evening and celebrated a level of play on the center court of the UTC La Ville that is far above their ITN rating. This means that the two are predestined for higher tasks for the final tournament in the popular match tiebreak mode with handicap system.

By the way: With the inferior 8.0 finalist Elias Siegmund and the South Tyrolean Raphaela Höller, who was involved in the ITN 9.0 tournament, the final day produced two big race winners, who preferred the medal for second place at the award ceremony had to take. Because both Siegmund and Höller have already taken part in two finals and each have 16 points to their credit, and thus probably excellent cards to play for the Cupra Born at the end of July. The fact that the Generali Race to Kitzbühel is an event for all hobby players - regardless of skill level and age - is confirmed by a final look at the plaque of honor of this tennis weekend at Altmannsdorfer Ast in Vienna. Because in addition to the Oldies title by the 50-year-old Sascha Rybak in the 6-man competition, there was also the triumph of an 11-year-old to marvel at. Jan Kayser from CTP Pötzleinsdorf had the longest way to go of all the winners of the weekend. With five wins without losing a set, "little Jan" put in a promising talent test, although of course due to his age he is not a candidate for the smart, sporty Cupra Born, which costs 43,000 euros.

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by Claus Lippert

Tuesday
May 17, 2022, 11:45 am
last edit: May 17, 2022, 09:58 am