German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche: Friedsam, Steur and Lys in the spotlight
From June 16, 24 women will play the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche - the main focus is on the participants of the Porsche Talent Team and Porsche Junior Team. Can you annoy the big ones?
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Jun 15, 2020, 10:08 am
The year 2011 was a pioneering one for German tennis ladies. Inspired by the surprise victory of Julia Görges at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2011 , the then Fed Cup boss Barbara Rittner, the tournament director of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Markus Günthardt and the SPD chairman and tennis friend Sigmar Gabriel encouraged the Porsche board, the German tennis ladies to support even more. The result in early 2012: the Porsche Team Germany and the Porsche Talent Team. The Porsche Junior Team followed in 2018.
Angelique Kerber, Laura Siegemund, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Görges, Tatjana Maria, Antonia Lottner, Mona Barthel and Anna-Lena Friedsam are currently represented in the team of "seasoned women" of the Porsche Team Germany - and Friedsam will be in particular in the coming weeks Main focus of tennis fans. The 26-year-old has had a long time of suffering since she first really attracted worldwide attention: in 2016, at the Australian Open, where she reached the round of 16 of a major tournament for the first time and in a drama act the top Ten player Agnieszka Radwanska lost. For Friedsam, then world ranking 81st, it was not the starting shot at the top, because shortly after moving into the top 50 she had to go under the knife - the shoulder. Friedsam only made her comeback (no ranking) in 2017, a year later, in 2018 followed by another operation and another break. Rumors and thoughts about a career end made the round. "Not being able to practice my beloved tennis sport was the worst. I missed life on the tour and the competition very much," she says looking back on that time .
However, since 2019 Friedsam has been on the rise again: At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she surprisingly won with Mona Barthel in doubles, in singles she played again in the top 200 after a strong autumn. And in 2020, in the last game week before the Corona -Crash, she made it into her second individual final on the WTA tour in Lyon, had to defeat the Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in just three sets. An appearance of Friedsam should give a big boost for the future.
Joelle Steur from the Porsche Talent Team wants to annoy the big ones
Friedsam also made her way to the top of the world through the Porsche Talent Team, currently Katharina Gerlach, Jule Niemeier, Nastasja Schunk, Joelle Steur, Kamilla Bartone and Alexandra Vecic are represented. The latter attracted attention at the Australian Open junior tournament this year with the semi-finals, while Joelle Steur, at 16, is the youngest player in the Porsche Talent Team. She describes her great fighting spirit as the greatest strength, possibly because she knows the toughness of tennis from an early age: Both parents work as tennis coaches, sister Julyette Steur (24 years) is a professional and currently number 361 in the WTA ranking.
Steur, who describes himself as “rather introverted”, has already gotten a long way. Born in Rothenburg, then at home in Holland, meanwhile she lives in Alicante / Spain, she graduated from high school in 2019 through a correspondence school. Steur has already won six titles on the ITF Junior Tour, at 14 she and sister Julyette Steur won an ITF tournament in Serbia. "Very versatile, with a relaxed swing, her strength is above all the clay court", she describes Rittner. "She still has to grow physically and get a lot of matches to find out how to play."
Steur now has the opportunity to do so as part of the German Ladies Series presented by Porsche. In addition to Friedsam, Steur meets Vivian Heisen and Julia Middendorf on the Porsche Junior Team.
The Porsche Junior Team is still in school
Oh, what's the difference between the Porsche Talent Team and the Porsche Junior Team? "It's not necessarily the older or the better in the Porsche Talent Team," explains Barbara Rittner, meanwhile Head of Women's Tennis at the DTB. "But rather those who have finished school and can concentrate fully on tennis." While the "talents" have almost professional status, so the players have already started their professional career, the "Juniors" are still on hold - namely next to the Tennis at school too.
Which has hardly any influence on the courses supported by Porsche. There are eight to ten such events throughout the year at the federal bases in Stuttgart and Kamen. Barbara Rittner has high hopes for the generation of the Porsche Junior Team. She gathered twelve players in the age group from 2002 to 2004, most of them in the team for those still attending school - Mara Guth, Tea Lukic, Eva Lys, Mia Mack, Julia Middendorf, Sarah Müller, Noma Noha Akugue, Laura Isabel Putz and Angelina Wirges. Why so many? "The great potential," explains Rittner, "I wanted to add them all." She also knows from experience: competition stimulates business. "They should pull each other." So while the older ones are concerned with participating in the qualification rounds for the Grand Slam tournaments, the younger group should start at the Junior Grand Slams.
Eva Lys: victories in the youth tournament Eddie Herr and in Altenkirchen
Like Eva Lys, who triumphed with a bang to the finish of last year after a season full of injuries in 2019 : the victory at the famous youth tournament Eddie Herr , the unofficial youth world championship in Florida on the grounds of the IMG Academy by Nick Bollettieri. And that out of the qualification.
Lys has shaped the fact that she was injured so much in the past few years - partly due to a ligament tear and a broken finger when catching the ball: “It promoted my character. I've had a lot of injuries in the past few years that have knocked me out. But I never let go and I'm back on the right track. ”Lys also had a great start in 2020: She qualified for the Australian Open's junior competition in January, and in early March she won the ITF, which was endowed with $ 25,000, in a completely surprising manner -Tourier in Altenkirchen, in the final against Bibiane Schoofs, a top 200 player. A win that put Lys among the top 600 in the WTA world rankings. Lys also wants to get started after her graduation.
"She is very versatile and technically very well trained," says Barbara Rittner, praising the now 18-year-old, who, after the recent successes at the German Ladies Series presented by Porsche, could be good for one or two surprises: her group opponents Stephanie Wagner, Anna In any case, Zaja and Sarah Müller should be warned.
All information about the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche
The entire groups and game dates of the German Ladies' Series presented by Porsche