Generali Race to Kitzbühel 2021: Alex Antonitsch - "Everyone can win"
The first phase of the Generali Race to Kitzbühel will begin on May 21, 2021. Organizer Alex Antonitsch promises the hobby players great matches in a grandiose atmosphere again this year and a CUPRA Formentor awaits the winner in the singles and the winners in the doubles can look forward to a Seat MÓ eScooter 125 each!
by tennisnet.com
last edit: May 07, 2021, 08:34 am
tennisnet : Mr. Antonitsch. The “Generali Race to Kitzbühel” has been the big highlight for all hobby players in recent years. What can the participants look forward to in 2021?
Alex Antonitsch : I think we'll go one better this year. At the beginning people didn't even know what to do with the tournament, they thought that they would be given a car for a week, maybe for a year. But that you can really win a car surprised most of them. And this year we went one step further at the Generali Race with our new partner Cupra. The winner can drive home in a CUPRA Formentor with 150 hp and a list price of 34,075 euros. The professionals will be a little jealous - because at the Generali Open only the tournament winner earns more.
# IMG2 #
tennisnet : What makes the Generali Race to Kitzbühel so special?
Antonitsch : That really everyone can win. Our first winner was roughly my figure, a bit firmer, and an ITN of 6.4. The second champion was a young boy of 17 years, ITN over 8, who has not yet had a driver's license. With our final mode, in which only one match tiebreak is played with a handicap, everyone can really win.
tennisnet : The organization is going a little differently this year.
Antonitsch : We don't want to hunt for records this time in Kitzbühel, the final location. If the weather is not right, then with 400 participants it gets tricky. There are qualification tournaments across Austria where everyone can participate in their ITN category and get a place in Kitzbühel. In the best-of-three format, with a match tie-break instead of a third set.
"You can qualify in three regions in Austria"
tennisnet : What about the doubles?
Antonitsch : There will soon be qualifying tournaments there too. Already in the tie-break shootout. And there, too, we have really cool prizes for the two winners - namely a Seat MÓ eScooter 125 each worth 5,999 euros.
# IMG3 #
tennisnet : When does it start?
Antonitsch : We had to wait a bit because we wanted to hold the events in singles and doubles in a corona-compliant manner, of course. The first two qualifying tournaments will take place in Upper Austria and Carinthia from May 21st. You can qualify across three regions in Austria - East, West and Central. And that until the end of July.
tennisnet : Of course, the final tournament also lives from the fact that the big final on the Center Court in Kitzbühel is played in front of full ranks immediately before the individual final of the Generali Open ...
Antonitsch : It's quite an experience. We noticed: people stay in the stands, watch it when two of "them" are playing for a car. There is a special kick in the game. Just like the shootout format. Because a player with an ITN of 2.5 or 3.0 does not have a huge advantage over an ITN of 8.5. The default then makes the favorites quite nervous.
"Claus Lippert is the absolute emperor in hobby tennis"
tennisnet : You played in front of full ranks yourself. What tips can you give the amateur gamers along the way?
Antonitsch : This time we want to play the doubles final and maybe even the two semi-finals on Center Court because we noticed that there is a lot of fire in there. And as far as the tips are concerned: I would advise the favorites, who start lagging behind: make sure that the first serve is in the field. The hobby players go through exactly what the professionals go through there. And just because I'm better at playing tennis doesn't mean I'll win the car too. And of course the audience also plays a role. We are now planning with up to 3,000 fans, but maybe more will be possible from July.
tennisnet : If former professionals like you, Thomas Muster or a Gilbert Schaller think that they could get a new Cupra through the Generali Race to Kitzbühel, then unfortunately that does not work because current and ex-professionals are excluded from participation .
Antonitsch : "Unfortunately" is correct. If you think about how much you earn nowadays as a winner in a future - and then you have the chance in Kitzbühel to earn a new car with tennis, that's a great thing for the hobby player. Lukas Miedler recently won a 15,000 ITF event in Sharm-el-Sheik and brought in around 2000 euros in prize money. And at the Generali Open Race to Kitzbühel, all participants get a starting present, you can win backstage passes for the Generali Open. And we also play with the official Generali Open tournament balls.
tennisnet : The man with whom all threads come together in the Generali Race to Kitzbühel is Claus Lippert. In your opinion, what makes it particularly special?
Antonitsch : Claus is the most experienced tournament director in Austria. And the most successful with over 12,000 tournament participations per year. Claus was even able to play over 100 tournaments last year after the corona break. He is the absolute emperor in the hobby tournament area. But at the same time always open to new movements. And Claus was also instrumental in developing the tie-break shootout format.