International German Junior Championships 2009 – back with the LTTC “Rot-Weiss”

One is almost tempted to say that the German Internationals came “back to the roots”, bearing in mind that this statement would not be wholly, but only partly the truth. In any case, it is immensely gratifying to be able to state, that after 1978 und 1980 the tournament, this time as airberlin german juniors, will be held for the third time at the LTTC “Rot-Weiss” in Berlin. Let’s hope for a long succession of this tournament in Berlin in future. Even considering the expected small changes regarding the field of players, today we can already say that a lot of outstanding players will fight for the coveted title and for the ITF ranking points. A total of around 250 girls and boys from 44 countries have been entered by their national tennis federations. To give the reader an idea of the difference to last year’s field of players: 2008 (at that time a Grade 4 tournament) the top player, who was seeded at the No. 1 position, was No. 211 in the world’s ranking. This year the same ranking is not even sufficient to qualify directly for the main draw, consisting of 46 players!

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High expectations are placed in the best German on the ranking list, Dominik Schulz (No. 10), but his participation is tagged with a small question mark. The Munich player, son of our former Bundesleague player Carsten Schulz, has impressed everybody with constant achievements and brilliant successes for month now. Only a couple of weeks ago he reached the semi final in Paris, and in two top-class ITF tournaments he only just missed his first victory in the finals. Equally successful is Alex Georgoudas from Lower Saxony, who failed only in the final of the Australian Open. With Richard Becker (quarter finalist in Paris and losing against the later winner Daniel Berta, and finalist in Offenbach) and Kevin Krawietz (who only a few days ago was the surprise winner of the high quality Grade 1 tournament in Offenbach) the German team fields two more competent champions with chances for the title. The Slovak Filip Horantzky is also one of the top favourites in the junior’s competition. Filip has constantly shown an impressive performance and e.g. reached the quarter final at the French Open in Paris.

Other Berlin players will receive the opportunity to take part in the tournament with the help of wild cards and will be able to gain experience on the “grand” tennis stage. Distributing the wild cards, Leonard Gerch (Belin’s No.1, formerly “Rot-Weiss”, now Friedrichshagen) and Marc-Oleg Gregor (as local “Rot-Weiss” player) will certainly be taken into account.
Thanks to her high ranking (No. 36) the Belorussian Nataliya Pintusova will be top seed among the girls. It is remarkable that she achieved such a high ranking through constant top results without taking part in the Grand Slam tournaments. Following closely behind are Polina Leykina (Russia), Cristina Dinu (Roumania, who won in Offenbach a few days ago) and Irina Khromacheva (Russia as well). High expectations are placed in the German participants, who are constantly reducing their distance to the top players of the world. Next to the Mannheim player, Sina Haas, the two 15 year-olds, Friedsam and Beck, will attract particular attention. A few weeks ago Anna-Lena Friedsam from Andernach impressed the tennis world and reached the final in the tournament in Offenbach (she lost against Cristina Dinu). A familiar face in Berlin will be Annika Beck from Bonn, who last year, then a 14 year-old, was sensationally successful at the “Rot-Weiss” and reached the final. In the meantime she has managed to prove true repeatedly and very convincingly the great potential she showed last year.

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With the girls as well, the Berlin participants will only be able to take part in the main draw with the help of wild cards, assigned by the organizer. But Daria Gajos (Seeburg) and Lisa-Marie Mätschke (LTTC “Rot-Weiss”) are two girls, whose potential justifies high expectations. Daria (15 years old) and Lisa (14 years old) are champions among their peers in Germany. Both are well able to hold their own at such a big tournament, considering that even the winning of one round would be a great success for both.

The airberlin german juniors not only want to support the “established” Berlin young talents, but also the children, who have just started with tennis. On the three final days the “Mini German Juniors” and the “Midfeld German Juniors” will be held for boys and girls, age group 6 to 10. At the same time those children will have the opportunity to observe the best junior players „live“ and to hopefully learn a lot.

It is generally the intention to develop a little “event” out of the airberlin german juniors, where tennis of course plays the leading role, but where a lot of other services and point of interests are provided as well. Foremost we want to mention the ceremonial act in memory of Gottfried von Cramm. Von Cramm would have been 100 years old in the week of the tournament, on July 7th. To honour his birthday there will be the aforementioned ceremonial act on July 11th, where among others the former German president Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker will speak as well. A documentary will show the life of the “Baron of Tennis”. You will find extensive information about Gottfried von Cramm in a special section of this program. The big summer party on Saturday, July, 11th, will mark another social highlight of this week.

Refreshments will be offered at the club restaurant, at several sales stalls and in the club house. You will find a detailed plan in this program, where all activities and the time schedule are listed.

Let’s hope that the certain superb performances of the participants of the International German Junior Championships will be appreciated by the Berlin tennis fans and that the weather god will prove well-disposed towards us.