PORTOROZ, August 9, 2015
Portoroz (Italian: Portorose, literally “”Port of Roses”) is one of the most popular and well-equipped tourist destinations of the Adriatic Sea, lying in a natural bay located a few kilometres from Italy, in a strip of coastline that separates the Istria region of Croatia from the Italian city of Trieste. The small Slovenian town with only about 3,000 inhabitants offers top-class hotels, clean sea and loads of entertainment, such as casinos and spas.
The Tilia Slovenia Open with a total prize money of € 42,500 the biggest tennis event in the country, is played at the CSEN (National Educational Sports Centre). The club features 13 clay courts and five fast ones, on which until 2010 a WTA Tournament was played and is now the surface for the men’s event.
Centre Court in Portoroz awaits first main draw matches
The first edition of the ATP Challenger took place in 2013. Local player Grega Zemlja claimed the title, winning the final against Austrian Martin Fischer. Last year another Slovenian lifted the trophy, when Blaz Kavcic defeated Gilles Muller in three sets.
The best ranked player from Slovenia had to withdraw from this year’s edition due to injury but took part in the tournament’s promotion when he played tennis with 16-year-old junior’s player Sven Lah on the Ljubljanica River.
The first-seed of the 2015 edition will be Marcel Granollers. The world number 74, who is one of two top 100 players in the main draw, will face Evgeny Donskoy in the opening round. Both players met in the semi-finals at the ATP Challenger in El Espinar with the better ending for the 25-year-old Russian, winning in straight sets. Donskoy eventually captured his seventh Challenger title, winning in Spain.
Second seed Paolo Lorenzi from Italy, who claimed the title at the ATP Challenger in Cortina on Sunday, will take on Aldin Setkic from Bosnia-Herzegovina for their first tour meeting. Third favourite Kimmer Coppejans will face a qualifier and fourth seed Lukas Lacko plays Aljaz Jakob Kaplja, who was granted a wild card. The other two invitations went to 20-year-old Slovenian Aljaz Radinski and Turkish teenager Cem Ilkel.
Main draw Slovenia Open Portoroz
