WROCLAW, February 17, 2017
The ATP Challenger Tour will return to Western Poland for the third edition of the €85,000 Wroclaw Open, held at the Hala Orbita from 27 February to 5 March 2017. On Tuesday, the tournament’s organizers, alongside the city’s mayor Rafal Dutkiewicz, held the official press conference at Europeum Hotel in Wroclaw to launch the annual tennis event.
This tournament’s entry list is led by the current World No. 102 Paul-Henri Mathieu, who advanced to the quarterfinals at the ATP Challenger in Rennes in January. The French veteran will be joined by World No. 104 Lukas Lacko from Slovakia and fellow countryman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who captured two Grand Slam doubles titles in Wimbledon 2016 as well as at the US Open the year before. Former World No. 7 Jürgen Melzer will also come to Wroclaw. The left-hander from Austria is still on his comeback trail after injury and clinched his first ATP Challenger title in more than four year in Budapest last weekend.
Janowicz And Hurkacz Carry Home Hopes
Jerzy Janowicz (photo: Wroclaw Open)
Local players Jerzy Janowicz and Hubert Hurkacz also attended the event and the latter will receive a wild card into the main draw. “I am delighted that such a big tournament is going to take place in my home town. I am grateful to the organizers for the fact that once again I have been awarded a wild card and I promise that I will give my best,” Hurkacz told.
Janowicz, however, will probably carry most of the home hopes. The former World No. 16 was sidelined from the courts, missing half of the 2016 season due to injury. Janowicz is now back on his winning ways, hoisting the trophy of the ATP Challenger in Genova last year.
“I feel fit again and I practice in Wroclaw now. On Sunday I am leaving for a Challenger in Bergamo, where I will hopefully play a couple of matches ahead of the Wroclaw Open. The surface in Italy is similar to that in the Hala Orbita, so I’m optimistic,” Janowicz is looking forward to his home tournament.
The winner will receive 110 ATP Ranking points, a cheque over €12,250 euros in prize money as well as a cast bronze figurine of a dwarf, a symbol of the city. More than 350 dwarfs are spread over the city and sight-seeing in combination with “hunting for dwarfs” has become one of the most popular tourist attractions.
“It’s great that we maintain the tradition of hosting the Wroclaw Open. 15,000 fans attended the matches last year, which was a very nice result. This year we expect even more tennis fans,” Wroclaw mayor Rafal Dukiewicz told.
