Niemeier against Kenin, Grabher against Brengle tennisnet.com

Jules Niemeier faces Sofia Kenin at the start of the WTA Tour 250 tournament in Linz. local hero Julia Grabher also has to play against an American: Madison Brengle.

© Alexander Scheuber

The world-class women’s tennis tournament from February 5th to 12th, 2023 in the Linz Design Center already offers a lot of excitement in the first round! The “cracker” is the match between Sofia Kenin (USA) and the Germans Jules Niemeier. Austria’s number one at Upper Austria Ladies, Julia Grabher (26), meets the 32-year-old American Madison Brengle. The number one seeded Greek Maria Sakkari (27) plays against the 31-year-old Spaniard Nuria Parrizas Diaz.

Maria Sakkari resisted the role of the top favorite a bit: “It would be the wrong attitude to have very high expectations – even if I’m number one. The field is very strong and balanced. I’m only thinking about the first match – so: step by step,” said Maria Sakkari, who shares a culinary passion with Sofia Kenin: Both rave about Wiener Schnitzel!

Keyword Sofia Kenin: The American starts against Germany’s top player Jule Niemeier, who explained the draw: “I played against her at the US Open last year and now I know what to expect. My record is 1-0 against her.” At the Australian Open, Niemeier caught the world number one Iga Swiatek, the toughest first-round opponent imaginable, but sold it expensively in the 4-6, 5-7 defeat. “I’m actually in pretty good shape form and now wants to celebrate victories little by little, first of all in Linz.”

Austrians in qualification unsuccessful so far

Sinja Kraus started on Sunday at 10 a.m. as the first of six ÖTV players to qualify for the WTA tournament Upper Austria Ladies Linz. Unfortunately, at 11:22 a.m., her dream of making it into the main draw was over.

Sinja Kraus, Austria’s second best tennis player in the WTA ranking (currently 197), lost to Varvara Gracheva 2:6, 4:6. The 20-year-old kept the match open in the second set until the score was 4:5 before Gracheva converted the match point. Even if the 22-year-old is more experienced – Gracheva reached the third round at the French Open in 2022, she is currently in 53rd place in the WTA ranking – would have been “more inside” for Sinja Kraus, said ÖTV sports coordinator Marion Maruska . “Sinja started out a little nervous, too bad.”

Barbara Haas was eliminated by Viktoriya Tomova, the 27-year-old Bulgarian (No. 99 in the WTA ranking) won 6-2, 6-1. Austria’s former number one still lacks the security and confidence in her shots, so she makes too many mistakes. It is an arduous journey back to old strength for them.

Alina Michalitsch, 23-year-old Lower Austrian and finalist in the Young Ladies Wildcard Challenge, had an overpowering opponent in Clara Tauson and lost 0:6, 2:6. The 20-year-old, 1.82 m tall Dane has already won two WTA tournaments (most recently in Luxembourg in September 2021 against Jelena Ostapenko) and is 138th in the world rankings.

Couldn’t take your chance either Johanna Hiesmair. The 17-year-old from Upper Austria slipped into the qualification at the last moment and lost against Andrea Gamiz from Venezuela, who was 13 years her senior, 3:6, 2:6. So there were only two left: Melanie gaperand Veronika Bokor played their first round matches later on Sunday afternoon!

The 2015 Linz winner had a sense of achievement, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She won her first qualifying match against Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 6-4.