MADRID, 18 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco and the French player Ugo Humbert lead the poster of the XXXVI edition of the Open Castilla y León Villa de El Espinar, which in 2022 will recover the women’s ITF and will be played at the Pedro Muñoz Municipal Complex from July 25 to 31, announced this Monday in their presentation at the Provincial Council of Segovia.
The Pedro Muñoz Complex will have two more courts in this edition, which will allow it to host, for the first time in the history of the open, both the men’s and women’s tournaments in the same facilities, revealed the director of the tournament, former tennis player Virginia Ruano.
Ruano recalled that, despite the difficulties of the last two years with the death of the former president of the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) Pedro Muñoz and the COVID-19 pandemic, the “miracle” El Espinar “had to continue”.
Ruano highlighted the construction of two new courts that will allow “one of the dreams” of Pedro Muñoz and his to be fulfilled, by being able to play both the men’s and women’s tournaments “from the first ball in the same place.”
For his part, Miguel Díaz, president of the RFET, glossed over the figure of Pedro Muñoz, whom he described as the tournament’s “alma mater” and “tennis lover” and highlighted the importance of an event such as the Open Castilla y León Villa de El Espinar as “dynamizer” of the successes of Spanish tennis.
Gonzalo Santonja, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Junta de Castilla y León, highlighted the commitment of the Junta de Castilla y León in supporting the tournament, to which it contributes 110,000 euros, 22 percent more than the previous year. Santonja valued the longevity of the tournament, which celebrates its 36th edition, and added that in this event historically “there are the tennis players who are and those who will be”, thus connecting with this year’s slogan: ‘Talent Factory’.
The mayor of El Espinar, Javier Figueredo, valued the commitment made by the city council with the construction of the new tracks and launched the challenge of achieving a “category 100” tournament, for which there is only one small step left.
Miguel Ángel de Vicente, president of the Segovia Provincial Council, emphasized the possibility of “being able to enjoy this edition of the men’s and women’s tournament” and added that during the days of the tournament they will bet on promoting Segovia as a tourist destination.
TALENT FACTORY
The Open Castilla y León Villa de El Espinar is an ATP Challenger 90+H category tournament. Its first edition was held in 1986, which makes it one of the longest-running tournaments in its category in the world, only surpassed by San Luis Potosí (Mexico), Tampere (Finland) and Winnetka, in the United States.
Pepo Clavet was the first champion in a tournament that has always been characterized as a talent factory. Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Juan Martín del Potro, Feliciano López, Pablo Carreño, Radek Stepanek, Fernando Verdasco, Sergi Bruguera and Emilio Sánchez Vicario are among their champions.
For its part, the women’s ITF celebrates its sixth edition and returns to the calendar after two years of hiatus due to the pandemic. Its last winner was the Dutch Arantxa Rus, who lifted the trophy made at the Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja that distinguishes the champions at El Espinar in 2019. Paula Badosa was the winner in 2017 and Rocío de la Torre, from Madrid, the first champion, in 2015.
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