HAMBURG, July 15, 2022
Tomorrow is the big day. The 2022 Hamburg European Open, the first combined event at the Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium since 1978, will kick off with qualifying matches at 10 a.m. local time.
Four German players are competing in the women’s qualifying draw. Local wild card entry Noma Noha Akugue begins her home campaign against Grace Min from the United States; Ella Seidel takes on Alexandra Cadantu-Ignatik of Romania; 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki plays Swiss Stefanie Vögele and Anna-Lena Friedsam opposes Paula Ormaecha from Argentina.
Upper Austria’s Barbara Haas, who returned to the WTA Tour in April after a seven-month hiatus due to a wrist injury, received a wild card into qualifying and will play Suzan Lamens from the Netherlands. Qualifying top seed Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine will face Dea Herdzelas from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first round.
Wild cards into the main draw of the WTA 250 event were awarded to German teenager Nastasja Schunk and her 20-year-old compatriot Eva Lys.
Moin Hamburg 👋 pic.twitter.com/TKIqwNMuc7
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) July 15, 2022
Struff into men’s main draw, Otte pulls out
Men’s qualifying draw is led by World No. 90 Henri Laaksonen from Switzerland, who will start against Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia. Second-seeded Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis will take on local wild card Mats Rosenkranz.
Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who won both singles and doubles titles at last week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Braunschweig, as well as 18-year-old Max Rehberg and Nicola Kuhn received wild cards into the ATP 500 tournament.
Oscar Otte of Cologne was forced to withdraw from the Hamburg European Open due to a knee injury. “I am deeply disappointed and very sad that I cannot compete in Hamburg,” said Otte. “It has always been a dream of mine to compete in the main draw at the Rothenbaum and play in front of this great crowd.
“The tournaments in Germany are my top priority but I will have to undergo a knee surgery next week due to medial meniscus problems. Health comes first and I’m trying to get fit again for the US Open and the Davis Cup. I’m already looking forward to the tournament in Hamburg next year.”
The draw ceremony presented by Großmann & Berger for the Hamburg European Open will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time.
