German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche: favorites Siegemund, Barthel and Friedsam move into the intermediate round
A total of 24 players competed in the preliminary round of the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche from June 16 to 19 in Darmstadt, Versmold and at the DTB national base in Stuttgart. Twelve of them qualified for the intermediate round, which took place from June 30 to July 3, including Porsche Team Germany players Laura Siegemund, Mona Barthel and Anna-Lena Friedsam.
by Press release
last edit: Jun 20, 2020, 10:08 am
After the men last week, the women were finally allowed to attack on the tennis court again. At the start of the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche, experienced professional players and hopeful young talents from the Porsche Talent Team and the Porsche Junior Team dueled in Darmstadt, Versmold and Stuttgart. For each preliminary round location there were two groups, each with four players, who initially competed against each other in “round robin mode”. Cross-group placement games were then held on the fourth day.
The four best-placed players from each location are included in the intermediate round, and places five to eight continue in the bonus round. In the total of 48 matches played, many of the favorites were able to assert themselves, further include Mona Barthel, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Tamara Korpatsch and Anna Zaja as well as the top seed Laura Siegemund.
Siegemund wants to take momentum with it
“After such a long time without a competition, it was important to finally get a gauge again and see where you stand. You can take some of the momentum out of it for the next few weeks, ”says Laura Siegemund. “For the juniors, the mode with the group games is also a great opportunity to gain additional confidence through good matches against established players. We are all from the same starting blocks and the tournament series is a great opportunity. ”
This assessment also confirms the strong performance of young talents Julia Middendorf and Eva Lys from the Porsche Junior Team , who also qualified for the intermediate round. Katharina Gerlach, Jule Niemeier and Nastasja Schunk from the Porsche Talent Team also bought their ticket for the next stage of the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche.
“As expected, it was very interesting to see how the younger players do against the experienced players. The biggest surprise of the preliminary round was certainly the victory of Julia Middendorf against Anna-Lena Friedsam. You shouldn't overestimate that, but it's just nice to see that the next generation is on the right track. For the intermediate round I am expecting a further increase in match quality due to the increasing game practice, ”summarizes Head of Women's Tennis Barbara Rittner.
The results of the first group phase
As with the men, the matches were carried out under special regulations. There were no ball children or line judges, only a chair umpire was on the court with the two players. Spectators were not admitted.
After a week's break, the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche continues with the intermediate round. The game will then take place from June 30th to July 3rd in Darmstadt, Kamen and in Hanover. The bonus rounds also take place there.
German Men's Series continues
While the women are taking a break, the men are already competing in the intermediate round. From June 23, 32 participants will start in eight groups with four players each at the locations in Oberhaching, Großhesselohe, Neuss and Versmold.