Generali Race to Kitzbühel: Upper Austrian Festival "dahoam on the Alm"
Last Whitsun weekend, the qualification phase of the central region in the Generali Race to Kitzbühel 2022 came to an end on the "Linzer Alm" at the ASKÖ Auhof with the third and final tournament. With 102 entries from five federal states, including many well-known names such as the Generali Race to Kitzbühel winner from 2019 Klaus Hauser, tournament director Georg Hellmonseder once again staged a real tennis festival on the outskirts of Linz.
by Claus Lippert
last edit: Jun 08, 2022, 02:55 pm
The qualification phase for the central region with the federal states of Carinthia, Styria and Upper Austria is over. We also know the first participants in the big final tournament in Kitzbühel, who initially pass as ordinary hobby tennis players. At the latest on the last weekend in July, one of them could become Austria's most famous hobby player with one shot or ten points in the final match tiebreak. He or she would then have won the most important, most prestigious and probably by far the most exquisite red-white-red grassroots tennis event - and thus also become the owner of a Cupra Born.
Upper Austrians and their passion for the Generali Race to Kitzbühel
Yes, and why shouldn't that be one of those who got their ticket to the final "high up on the Linzer Alm" last weekend with a top result. Statistically, the chances of an Upper Austrian winner are excellent. The tennis cracks "ob der Enns" have already won big three times in five final tournaments on Kitzbüheler Sand and chauffeured the coveted winning cars out of the Gamsstadt to their home in Upper Austria. In 2017, Thomas Glasner won the title at the premiere of this hobby tournament, which is well known beyond the borders. In 2018, Klaus Hauser triumphed in the unforgotten final thriller on full center court, and in 2020 Lukas Baumgartner provided the Upper Austrian title hat-trick.
Julian Müllehner - winner of the 4-man competition but too young for the final tournament in Kitzbühel
The fact that the Upper Austrians don't take a joke at the Generali Race to Kitzbühel every year was again clearly evident from the result lists on Whitsun weekend 2022. All six titles stayed in the country, gifts were only given by the tournament director before the first serve. In the 4.0 competition, unseeded Julian Müllehner clearly prevailed 6:2, 6:2 in a teenager final against No. 5 on the seed list Jakob Spiesmeyer. Five victories on the way to the Linz title brought the young man from St. Oswald near Freistadt a bombastic ITN improvement and one shimmering turquoise crystal, but a ticket for the final tournament in Kitzbühel will not do, especially since Müllehner does not meet the age criteria can fulfill. Jakob Spiesmeyer from Bad Leonfelden, on the other hand, gets a "go" as long as he keeps his ITN value "under control" up to Kitz. Meanwhile, Tobias Tschernuth and Tyrol's HTT hero Hannes Matt from TC Fieberbrunn caused the prominent failures in the 4.0 competition, both of whom had to give up in the round of 16.
#IMG2#
Ali Sharif with tournament starts in Annenheim, Bruck and Linz sovereign overall winner of the ITN category 5.0
In the ITN 5.0 competition, Jürgen Ganster from UTC Wels won the title and his ticket for the final showdown at the end of July in Kitzbühel without losing a set. The 28-year-old, who started the tournament as No. 2 on the seeding list, eliminated his club colleague Stefan Müller in the semifinals before beating Michael Weinwurm for the title and a final ticket in the final. And the celebrity? Local hero Horst Kroiss "flopped" in the quarter-finals, the 2018 champion Klaus Hauser even in the round of 16. Ali Sharif was also eliminated in the round of 16, but the North African secured the overall victory in the 5.0 class with 16 points. Well deserved, after all, the HTT exotic traveled to Annenheim, Bruck an der Mur and Linz and showed how you can qualify for the "grande finale". Felix Bohmayr from Schlierbach secured the title in the ITN 6-man competition in two exciting match tie-break decisions in the semifinals and in the final, and the new ITN 7-man champion Raphael Skop from SV Pichl Tennis also had to win the match tie-break lottery twice survive.
There was nothing to get in the 7-man competition for the two Viennese representatives Anton Zierl and Maxi Schenz. Zierl still reached the quarter-finals, while Schenz started the painful journey home with a double zero. Fabian Leitner and Alexander Gierlinger finally completed the Upper Austrian festival at the Generali Race to Kitzbühel in Linz, each winning titles in categories 8 and 9 without losing a set.