WROCLAW, February 14, 2015
The Wroclaw Open, formerly known as KGHM Polish Indoors, are back on the ATP Challenger calendar in 2015. The event will be held at Hala Orbita from February 16 to 22. The last edition took place in 2009 with German Michael Berrer lifting the trophy at the end of the week winning the final against Alexander Kudryavtsev in straight sets. The tournament will be played on indoor hard with a total prize money of € 85.000,-
Wroclaw Open Logo 2015
During a press conference held on Thursday, tournament director Pawel Jaroch pointed out that among the 22 players, who entered the tournament, 13 had already been within the top-100 before. “We almost presented Jerzy Janowicz in the player’s field here again after 2008 and 2009. Jerzy wanted to play in Wroclaw but he has already entered the 250 event in Marseille and the ATP didn’t allow him to change his schedule,” Jaroch explained.
Press Conference with tournament director Pawel Jaroch (photo: Wroclaw Open)
On Saturday afternoon, the main draw ceremony took place. First-seed and only top-100 player in the field, Ricardas Berankis, will take on Polish wild card Hubert Hurkacz. The other three wild cards haven also been granted to Polish players: Kamil Majchrzak, Michal Dembek and Andrzej Kapas. Second-seeded Belgian Steve Darcis will face one of the local’s favourite Michal Przysiezny for the first time on the ATP Tour. If the Polish world number 186 will emerge victorious, he could meet his compatriot Lukasz Kubot in the second round, who has to overcome Andrea Arnaboldi first. Third seed Farrukh Dustov meets Philipp Petzschner in the opening round. The former world number 35 from Germany dropped to 378th position after a longer injury in 2014, entered the tournament by protected ranking and hopes to climb up again in 2015.
ATP Challenger Supervisor Roland Herfel during the main draw ceremony (photo: Wroclaw Open)
Michal Przysiezny, who lives in Wroclaw, will play the ATP Challenger (photo: Wroclaw Open)
The winner will receive a cheque of € 12.250,- but also a very special trophy. The new champion gets a bronze statue of a dwarf created by sculptor Beata Zwolańska-Hołod. In the 1980s the political opposition “Orange Alternative” demonstrated – in dwarf costumes amongst others -against the communistic regime in Poland and established a cast-iron dwarf in Wroclaw’s old town. Nowadays, more than 250 dwarfs with a height of about 30 centimetres can be found throughout the city and are a popular tourist attraction.
A Wroclaw dwarf for the 2015 Champion (photo: Wroclaw Open)
