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The traditional tennis tournament is celebrating its 30th edition this year, but it was completely different: no spectators due to the sharp increase in coronavirus cases, no big anniversary celebration, and no field of players one would have wished for.
Tournament director Sandra Reichel still proved to be a fighter. “We have to be happy and grateful to be able to host the tournament. It’s not so natural now, “Reichel said Friday in an interview with APA – Austrian Press Agency.” We have a number 11 in the world at the beginning, “Reichel said and spoke with Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus. The sensational semifinalist of the French Open, Nadia Podoroska, will also be there.
Sabalenka could make headlines if she at least reached the quarterfinals in Linz: then in the WTA rankings, she would “box” the 10th top ten Serena Williams, be in this group for the first time and stay that way until the end of the year.
Unsolved due to the CoV crisis
Unlike Vienna, in Linz, where not only will the last WTA tournament take place in 2020, but there will also be no more competitive tournaments around the world, the stars did not hit in ranks. Two things have hurt: “Due to the media attention that Austria is a blockade, many people have contacted me to ask if they are still allowed to enter the country. That disturbed some players, ”revealed Reichel.
Also, some players had “mentally finished” their season beforehand. “It would have been nice to have a player in the top ten here, but in that case the general conditions are different.”
Reichel: “I don’t give up so easily”
Organizing in times of coronavirus has proven extremely difficult. A 90-page Covid-19 manual should be followed. “It would have been easy to say after the lockdown that we won’t do it this year, but I won’t give up anytime soon,” Reichel said. Together with the Stadthallenturnier in Vienna, they wanted to set an example. “We want to convey confidence, for tennis and for sport in general,” Reichel said.
Reichel had to keep two of the three wild cards free until Friday at 4 pm if one of the top 20 players played on short notice. If this is not the case, the “free tickets” in the main field will go to Austrians Julia Grabher and Mira Antonitsch. However, Reichel couldn’t (yet) promise that.
There are no linesmen in Linz
The “live hawk eye” is new in Linz, so in addition to the well-known “hawk eye” there will also be “electronic line call” as in Vienna. Therefore, the linesmen will be saved to also keep staff low in the crown crisis. The system costs around 100,000 euros in total, according to Reichel.
From a sporting point of view, the veteran tournament director expects a high-quality end to the season. “Sometimes we have players of this young, ‘next generation’ at the beginning. Maybe, like last year, Coco Gauff will start another one in Linz ”. And Barbara Haas, Austria’s No. 1, is looking forward to her first win in the Linz main round, which is overdue. “I have to repeat myself: he has the potential, if he wins a game like this, he can move on. I wish it for her. “
