ECKENTAL, October 1, 2019

In less than five weeks the ATP Challenger Tour will return to Bavaria for the 23rd edition of the International German Indoor Championships hosted at the House of Sports in Eckental. The tournament will be held from October 28 to November 3, 2019 and offers a prize purse of €46,600. The winner will collect 80 ATP Ranking points.

So far, so good. But one big change has been made. This year’s event will be held on a brand new carpet. Almost 20 years of intensive use had left signs of wear on the old surface and the ATP urged the organizers of the tournament to either switch to hard courts or to renew the carpet. Tournament director Marcus Slany and his organisation team have decided in favor of a new carpet, which is now blue instead of green, and made the investment of about €75,000.

The ‘Gallic Group’ in Eckental remain – together with the WOLFFKRAN Open in Ismaning – the only two tournaments on the ATP Challenger Tour which are held on carpet. They achieved the feat without the help of a magic potion.

“We are happy to have a strong network of over 150 partners at our side to meet the diverse needs,” said Slany. A solid financial base together with the extraordinary commitment of more than 100 volunteers is the “basis for the future of the tournament”.

The tournament’s entry list will be announced at a later date. Former champions are Rainer Schüttler, Mikhail Youzhny and Ruben Bemelmans. Frenchman Antoine Hoang won last year’s singles competition. Future Roland Garros winners Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies clinched the doubles trophies.

For tickets, please visit the tournament’s official website.