Generali Race to Kitzbühel: In the footsteps of Dominic Thiem
How does one actually become the star of the Generali Race to Kitzbühel? What does it take to be successful at what is probably the most exclusive popular tennis event in Europe? Questions upon questions that are currently being asked by many amateur tennis players who have to fight their way through the qualifying mills of the Austria-wide tournament series in these weeks! This was also the case last weekend in the federal sports and leisure center in Südstadt.
by Claus Lippert
last edit: Jun 21, 2022, 03:50 pm
The requirement profile for the new Generali Race Champion
First of all: There can only be one star at the Generali Race to Kitzbühel, and that will be determined on the last Saturday in July in the Kitzbühel tennis stadium at Kapserfeld immediately before the ATP 250 final of the Generali Open Kitzbühel. But what does it take for a hobby player to possibly fulfill their dream of winning the Generali Race to Kitzbühel with its exquisite main prize, a Cupra Born worth 43,000 euros? Well, first of all you need the necessary points to get out of the qualification and secure a place in the main draw of the final tournament, which consists of 72 women and men.
Then, as in any match tiebreak, you need a little bit of luck, but above all you need a huge portion of coolness. Because the players have to be able to adapt to an extreme situation that is completely new and unfamiliar to them. The nervous tension is extreme! No wonder, since as a hobby player you don't play for a sleek car every day, and you do so in front of the curious eyes of around 4000 spectators on a stage that is otherwise reserved for the world's best professional tennis players.
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The comeback of the center court in Südstadt and great memories of the Generali Austrian Pro Series
The starting point for everyone - including the future superstar and winner - is the qualification for the Generali Race to Kitzbühel, which has been running since April and will end in three weeks in beautiful Going am Wilden Kaiser. With 13 qualifying tournaments in all nine Austrian federal states, you can recommend yourself for the Kitzbühel final days. This was also the case last weekend in the southern part of the city, where 120 participants in singles and doubles fought hard to earn their qualifying points for the race in tropical conditions. The second tournament of the Lower Austria Weeks and the fourth station of the Generali Race to Kitzbühel in the eastern region really had it all in terms of weather and sport!
And there was also the comeback of a very special tennis court to admire this past weekend. When Messrs. Otto Gstir and Markus Bergsmann set out on the "Center Court of the Südstadt" early Friday afternoon to open the eighth of 13 qualifying tournaments, memories of the time of the first lockdown in spring 2020 were awakened, when sport generally fell into a collective deep sleep was transferred. Tennis was only played on this one special place, the center court in the southern part of the city, during those dreary days. And that too competitively and with the best tennis players in the country.
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When US Open winner Dominic Thiem won the biggest trophy of his career on center court in Südstadt
Kitzbühel tournament director Alexander Antonitsch made it possible and set up a multi-week tennis tournament called the Generali Austrian Pro Series, worth almost 155,000 euros, to give the red-white-red tennis cracks playing practice and an opportunity to earn money. Everyone was there, including Austria's tennis star Dominic Thien, who after a record-breaking 33 tournament days secured the title in the final against David Pichler and probably the biggest trophy of his career. "It's not my most important trophy, but it's definitely my biggest trophy I've ever won," said the later US Open champion. Well, and the Generali Pro Series may have also contributed a tiny part to Dominic's New York Grand Slam triumph.
June 26 marks the second anniversary of the final day of the Generali Pro Series with Thiem's success, and 24 months later the center court in Südstadt was again the focus of a tennis tournament under the patronage of main sponsor Generali. The hobby players on the center court could not follow in the footsteps of Dominic Thiem as the Grand Slam winner, but one of the many Südstadt starters on the last Saturday in July 2022 could very well follow in those of the US Open champion as the Kitzbühel winner climb.
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Sarajlic, Rakhmatulin & Bader - the Generali Race triple pack boys
Enough with the nostalgic past, we come to the sporting achievements of the eighth Generali Race to Kitzbühel qualifying weekend 2022 on the southern outskirts of Vienna. Since Sunday evening we have three real Generali Race to Kitzbühel specialists, three young men who have already secured their third title in this qualifying series and have been able to take shimmering turquoise crystal home with them. Inas Sarajlic demonstrated his current top form in the 4-man competition and, with only six games handed in, shattered the already small hopes of the competition for the title.
After his La Ville double pack and the Südstadt gala, we can welcome the 17-year-old as a fixed starter in Kitzbühel after his final thrashing victory over US boy Michael Juritsch. Just like the Kyrgyz HTT player Erik Rakhmatulin, who, after his third crystal win and his second tournament win in a row in the ITN 6.0 category, has already practiced "sitting a test" in the Cupra Born. Tom Bader is at least already "at the small German corner" on his virtual Kitzbühel trip. After his brace in the 7-man competition with the titles in Wiener Neudorf and Südstadt, his worries about qualification should have disappeared within seven days.
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Wiesflecker & Strobl: New names in the game for the final tournament in Kitzbühel
In addition to the triple-pack boys Sarajlic, Rakhmatulin & Bader, new names also came into play at the Kitzbühel final tournament on the mid-summer weekend in Südstadt. Like a certain Konstantin Wiesflecker in the ITN 5.0 competition. The 18-year-old from TC Strebersdorf was successful on his way to the final three times in a row in a match tiebreak before he celebrated the first tennis tournament victory of his life in the final against the German veteran Sebastian Volbert with 6:1, 6:1. "I'm so happy about today, I can't believe it," grinned "Konsti" competing with the June sun. Out of nowhere, Robert Strobl has been speculating about a summer performance in the chamois town since Sunday afternoon. With his premiere title in the 9.0 category, the 44-year-old increased his points account in the Race to Kitzbühel to 14 points, which means that Strobl is now among the top 4. In the final, Strobl defeated debutante Carina Flammer, who at least claimed the ladies' bonus got 8 more race points.
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In the 8.0 competition, Phlipp Strauss finally triumphed, who, as the youngest participant with his "still tender 11 years old", is unfortunately not an issue for the final decision in Kitzbühel. Unlike the oldest starter Anton Vrana, who with his 75 years cut a splendid figure on the courts of the southern part of the city. Ürbigens: Baden is coming up next weekend! Young and old are then back on the hunt for the coveted qualifying points for the Generali Race to Kitzbühel 2022.