On Thursday the sun shone again over Bad Waltersdorf. The heavenly reward for the hard work of the Davis Cup organizing team in the previous week and the ATP 125 Challenger BAD WALTERSDORF TROPHY. Tournament director Peter Westner in an interview about strong partners, good mood, world-class tennis and word of mouth.
Despite the difficult weather conditions, Austria won the Davis Cup match against Turkey 3-0. How did you manage to keep the team spirit up despite long rain breaks and postponements?
Peter Westner: It was a big challenge, but we managed to take care of the players in the best possible way. A huge advantage was the relaxation at the Spa Resort Styria and the Heilthermen Resort Bad Waltersdorf. The bad weather was really extreme, but the players were able to regenerate perfectly there. That was a big plus for tennis players. At the same time, it was important that the courts were in perfect condition. Our organization team did a fantastic job and we made the impossible possible. I think that there is hardly anywhere else in Austria where the games could have been played. Finally, we did everything to pamper the players – with a high-quality players lounge, physiotherapists, a shuttle service and, above all, by reading their every wish from their lips. All of these factors contributed to the players feeling comfortable and being able to give their best performance, despite the strong opponents.
How important is it to have strong partners like the Spa Resort Styria and the Heilthermen Resort Bad Waltersdorf on board? And who are the most important supporters behind the scenes?
Without our partners, this double event would not be possible at all. The state of Styria and the market town of Bad Waltersdorf in particular have given us massive support. They strongly identify with our tournament, they identify with the sport. Then of course there is the Spa Resort Styria and the Heiltherme, which provide us with the overnight stays we need. That’s a total of 400! Without these institutions and the support from the hotel industry, it would be impossible to organize such a tournament. There are also many other players who work in the background, such as referees, linesmen, shuttle services and catering services. You often don’t see these people, but they are crucial to ensuring everything runs smoothly.
The ball boys did a great job, even in the adverse weather conditions. Where did they come from and how did you look after them?
The ball children were and are really fantastic, incredibly disciplined. They are also really well looked after by our organisation team and despite the rain they always had a smile on their faces. This may also be because the Styrian Education Directorate gave them a day off from school. There are 50 children, most of whom come from Bad Waltersdorf, but also from other regions of Styria from Graz to Hartberg. We are particularly grateful that the Styrian Tennis Association is supporting us and that the schools are cooperating so that the children can take part in this event. First of all, you have to find 50 children who want to do it. Of course, thanks are also due to the parents who understand this and bring their children here. Our ball children not only have fun here, but can also learn from the professionals – who knows, maybe one of today’s ball children will be on the court themselves one day. After all, Roger Federer was once a ball child himself.
The tournament is at a very high sporting level. How do you manage to bring world-class tennis with such top-class players to Bad Waltersdorf?
This is mainly due to good word of mouth. Last year we already proved that we can organize a tournament at a high level that is comparable to a 250 tournament. The players appreciate our great conditions – from the hotels to the shuttle service to the perfect pitches. This year we have players like Jaume Munar, Thiago Monteiro and Thiago Seyboth Wild, who are consistently in the top 100 in the world, or Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Laslo Djere, the Spaniard was number 17 and the Serbian number 27 in the world. Word gets around in the scene and that’s why the players like to come back.
What does the future of the tournament look like? Are there any plans to expand the tournament?
We remain a 125-player challenger. The ATP no longer issues licenses for 250-player tournaments and the prize money would have to be almost doubled, which would be difficult. Our focus is on keeping the tournament at the high level that we have achieved. We are the only clay court tournament in Europe this week and offer players 125 points – that is particularly attractive in view of the Australian Open. We have a perfect week, but of course we always depend on good weather. My partner Sascha Freitag and I are convinced that with our budget and our organization we can continue to host great tournaments at this level. The motto remains: stick to your shoestring!
From 12:55 p.m. there will be a live broadcast of the BAD WALTERSDORF TROPHY on ORF SPORT+ every day, with Alexander Peya as co-commentator. All matches on the Center Court will also be broadcast live on ÖTV TV at www.oetv.tv streamed.
