The first set of the double turned into a hot battle. But finally Aspelin/Knowle closely prevailed in the tie breaker by 7:6 (6). In set two the Swedish/Austrian pair had to accept a decisive break at 5:6 and lost 5:7. In the Champions Tie Breaker Knowle/Aspelin were in a league of their own and triumphed by 10:5.

It was the first title for Knowle this year. His last victory had taken place last year in Casablanca when Jürgen Melzer still was his partner. This year he had reached the final of Memphis and the semi-final of Indian Wells with Melzer as well as standing in the semi-finals of Monte Carlo and Hamburg with his new partner.

This constitutes their first big victory after a match time of 2,03 hours: "To win a title in Austria is something special. The match today wasn't very good but one has to win such matches, too, after all. The AC Milan didn't play so well, either, and still won the title. One can't compare Simon to my former partner, they are two completely different types of player. It was my fourth tournament with Simon and our first title. Now we'll depart for Paris to win the title there, as well."

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A hot summer sun was burning down on the centre court in Pörtchach today during the final of the Euro 353.450.- Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com.

Argentinian Juan Monaco and Frenchman Gael Monfils were the two competitors in the final. Monaco's way into the final in Pörtschach: he defeated Jürgen Melzer in the first round, then US-American Michael Russel, followed by title holder Nikolay Davydenko and in the semi-finals Peruvian Luis Horna. His opponent, French shooting star Gael Monfils who had been awarded a wild card for Pörtschach, defeated Sam Querrey and Hyung Taik Lee, in the quarter-finals he triumphed over Andy Roddick and in the semi-finals over Australian Lleyton Hewitt.

The beginning of the final stood under Monaco's sign. The Argentinian immediately scored a break for 1:0. At 2:0 Monaco had another break point at 30:40 but Montfils countered and closed in to 2:1. Then Montfils, who had seemed a bit tired in the beginning, got back into the match, found a chance to re-break at 30:40 which he took to equal the score to 2:2. Subsequently the spectators were offered clay court tennis of absolute world-class quality. Both players won their next service games and the tie-breaker had to decide - which Monaco clearly dominated and won 7:3, thereby taking the first set by 7:6.

During the second set, which Juan Monaco won 6:0, Monfils stood no chance. He got broken over and over again. Thus Monfils had to concede a clear defeat to the Argentinian. The only highlight of set two came when Monfils smashed his racket. In order to escape a warning by the umpire he presented the racket to a female spectator as a gift to the cheers of the audience. Then he fetched a new racket out of his bag and went unpunished.

For Monaco the victory in Pörtschach was already the second ATP title win this year following Buenos Aires.

The winner on his triumph: "You never know what will happen in a final. The first set was very tough for me and it was important to win the tie breaker. It is my second victory this year and I am happy that I'm moving up in the ranking. I have worked very hard and so it is only a logical consequence that one starts to win. Now I feel well prepared for Paris."

Runner-up Gael Monfils about the match: "I was tired for the recent tough matches against Roddick and Hewitt have somewhat taken their toll. My legs hurt at the end of set one and during the tie breaker. The second set went fast and painless. Today the wind was also stronger which hurt my game, it was hard to hit the ball right. Nevertheless, I think I will return to Pörtschach next year."

Currently the doubles final, where Austrian Julian Knowle participates, is being played in Pörtschach. We will inform about the result shortly.

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Prior to the beginning of the men's singles final Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb was able to draw a very positive and satisfying résumé for the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com.

"I was, not only as the one responsible for this tournament, but also as chairman of the Kärnter Tennisverein (Carinthian Tennis Association) especially happy that we were able to welcome many young people who have rediscovered their interest in tennis sport. The draw, containing three top 10 players, helped considerably, of course. A further important point for the future is the very good assessment by the ATP which enables us to plan for longer periods. Last year's minor criticisms were eliminated, we were able to improve the hotel situation by far and also provided the fourth court on the Werzer Arena that had been demanded. I would like to thank all sponsors, especially our main sponsor and the presenting sponsor."

Last year Leitgeb promised to once again lure a superstar to Pörtschach. This was already almost fulfilled by the immediate positive answer by Lleyton Hewitt, all the Australian had to to was to appear. But Leitgeb signed even furhter important players: "Title holder Davydenko, Roddick, Hewitt and Ljubicic lead to the best-seeded World Series Tournament this year on the tour. I am also happy that Gael Monfils who had been awarded a wild card was able to reach the finals. All players without exception were impressed by the ambience here at Lake Wörthersee and felt, one week prior to the start of the French Open in Paris, right at home in Pörtschach and were enthused by the amiability of the people. We, as organiser, would, of course, be very happy if the stars would return next year."

But there were many other highlights beside the sportive ones. These points also offer a positive balance according to Ronnie Leitgeb: "If we have a large audience on the final day it would be possible to break through the sonic barrier of 25.000 spectators. We also broadcast many hours of television images from Pörtschach to Austria and furthermore into the whole world. And I wouldn't have thought it possible that we would have an access rate of 1,4 million daily clicks on our Live-Ticker. And the number of persons for whom we have booked rooms during the tournament week is also quite impressive: 1.250 overnight stays. And I was equally impressed by the activities of Kärnten Sport who invited many well-known athletes to Pörtschach."

The traffic situation around Pörtschach was the only drop of bitterness. During the tournament week road works had been opened up which lead to traffic jams of over five kilometres length for the visitors. This has to improve next year in coordination with the responsible federal state persons.

Among the positive aspects counts Alberto Rigotti. The well-known entertainer took care of good vibes with his musical entertainment during the intermissions on the centre court - not only for the athletes but also the expert spectators in the Werzer Arena.

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In the second semi-final the two South Americans Juan Monaco from Argentina and Luis Horna from Peru faced each other. Monaco who wrestled down the No 1 of the tournament, Nikolay Davydenko, yesterday entered the tournament as No 47 in the ranking while Horna ranked behind him as No 82.

Monaco already broke his opponent for 2:1 in the first set but Horna immediately hit back with a re-break for 2:2. Monaco countered with another break to lead 3:2. Subsequently both players offered sound clay surface tennis and Monaco was able to serve the set out for 6:4.

The second set became even more turbulent, both players battled on the highest level to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd. Monaco once more took the lead by a break for 2:1. Horna fought like a lion and re-broke the Argentinian for 3:3. The final decision for who would enter the final came when Monaco broke his opponent's service game for 5:4 and subsequently won his own serve to take set two by 6:4.

An exhausted winner Juan Monaco said: "I am very happy, the match cost a lot of energy. We know each other very well, therefore it was very difficult for me to create chances. Winning today was only possible through total dedication and a lot of strength. I expect an equally tough match for tomorrow, it will be very close. But I want to win my second final this year following the one in Buenos Aires."

The third match on the centre court was the continuation of the doubles that were cancelled yesterday due to darkness between No 1 seeded Swede Simon Aspelin and his Austrian partner Julian Knowle and the team of Martin Garcia (ARG)/Jordan Kerr (AUS). The match was resumed at the standings of 6:4 and 2:4. Garcia/Kerr took the second set by 6:3. The decisive third set, played according to the Champions Tie Breaker format, was finally won by Knowle/Aspelin by 10:6.

Thus Knowle/Aspelin will face the two Czechs Leos Friedl/David Skoch tomorrow, the latter having reached the final w.o. because Amer Delic, doubles-partner of Andy Roddick, wasn't able to compete due to a cold and a foot injury.

The men's single final will commence tomorrow, Saturday, at 14.30 followed by the presentation ceremony. Subsequently the men's doubles final will take place on the centre court.

EnterTennisment for Saturday:
Saturday, May 26 Charity Pedal Boat Race
in front of the Werzer Beach-Casino (from 9.30)
Teams made up of sponsors and VIPs will compete in a head-to-head race. The winner will
be honoured on the centre court prior to the final. Free admission!

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In the first semi-finals today, Friday, at 14.00 on the centre court of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, in the Werzer Arena in Pörtschach two-times Grand Slam Champion Lleyton Hewitt, the No 4 of the tournament, and crowd favourite Gael Monfils from France faced each other.

The French shooting star had a fast start into the match and had his first break opportunity already during the second service game of the Australian which he turned into a 2:1 lead. Subsequently Hewitt was going for the long rallies while Monfils tried to shorten the game by spectacular forehand-shots. And it was, among other assets, the strong first serve which saved the French No 75 in the world from three break points overall by Hewitt and brought on the 6:4 set win.

The second set began with three straight breaks, two for the Frenchman, one for the Australian. It was Monfils who finally won his service game for 3:1 but Hewitt soon thereafter re-broke him for 4:4. Still, the No 16 in the ranking didn't get a second wind and once again had to accept a break for 5:6. Monfils kept his cool and served the semi-final out for 6:4,7:5 with his third match point, an ace.

A happy Gael Monfils was beaming after his victory: "Today was one of my best matches. I played very well in the first set, moved a lot and returned a lot of good shots by Hewitt. The second set was even closer. Thank god I managed a second brake in the end which enabled me to win the match. For tomorrow's finals I expect a very tough fight since both Monaco and Horna are true clay specialists. Nevertheless, I am ready for my first title this year and think about winning and not about my opponent. I'm happy that I applied for the wild card here in Pörtschach since I wanted some match practice prior to the French Open and now I'm in the finals."

US Open and Wimbledon-Champion Lleyton Hewitt spoke in high terms of the victor: "He plays extremely well, especially at the big points and also served very well. But this didn't surprise me for he is a talented and tough player. I nevertheless had my chances and was a bit unlucky not to get back into the first set. But he was better than me at the big points. Now I will relax somewhat, do some stretching and so on before deciding whether I leave Pörtschach already today."

EnterTennisment for Saturday:
Saturday, May 26 Charity Pedal Boat Race
in front of the Werzer Beach-Casino (from 9.30)
Teams made up of sponsors and VIPs will compete in a head-to-head race. The winner will
be honoured on the centre court prior to the final. Free admission!

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The third semi-final on the centre court of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, at the Werzer Arena in Pörtschach offered over two and a half hours of top-notch tennis between the No1 of the tournament, Nikolay Davydenko, and the Argentinian clay specialist Juan Monaco.

At first it seemed to become a one-sided affair since Davydenko was off to a bad start and soon lay 0:4 behind. Then the Russian managed to break Monaco but the No 47 in the Ranking fought back and equalled the standings by a re-break and also won his next service game for 6:2.

The second set was pure tennis-infight. Following no less than four breaks overall the tie breaker had to decide which Davydenko won by 7:5, making this one set each.

The third set saw the pre-decisive break for the Argentinian for 2:1. Despite fierce resistance Davydenko couldn’t break Monaco’s serve once again and the Argentinian finally left the centre court as 6:2,6:7(5) and 6:4 winner. In the semi-finals he will meet another Southern American – Luis Horna from Peru.

Happy winner Juan Monaco said after the match: “It was a very good match by me. My tactics were to play aggressively right from the beginning which worked out. The early break in the third set especially lifted me up. I got the feeling that I was in better physical shape than Davydenko which gave me the confidence to win. But tomorrow it will also be a tough match against Luis Horna even though I have defeated him this year in the quarter-finals of Buenos Aires. But we share the same coach which makes it hard to play him.”

Nikolay Davydenko accepted his defeat like a true sportsman: “Juan had an incredibly strong start and played very fast. Trying to catch up cost me a lot of energy. The very energy I was missing at the crucial moments of the third set.”

Important note for tomorrow, Friday:

World of TUI and the travel agency Pregesbauer will raffle a great voyage for two persons on Friday on the centre court during the break between the two semi-finals.

The prize for the winner is a one-week-vacation in a four star hotel in Mallorca.
Goalkeeper-legend Michael Konsel will be the fortune bringer.

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Once again it was US-Boy Andy Roddick who opened the fifth day of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com at 13.00 on the centre court of Pörtschach. In the quarter-finals he faced 20-year-old French shooting star Gael Monfils who had deafeted him last year in Rome.

In the first set both the No 2 of the tournament as well as the up-and-coming No 75 in the world were superior in their service games – until 4:4. Then, just like yesterday against Dane Kristian Pless, Roddick took the break for 5:4. But Monfils fought back in the next game and used his second break point to equal the score. Subsequently the French rookie didn’t relent and broke Roddick once more to win the set by 7:5.

The second set immediately brought three break opportunities for Roddick but Monfils warded them off. Soon thereafter, at Roddick’s first serve, Monfils shot a cannonball-like return that Roddick in turn hit back with an incredibly fast reaction, hitting the ball with the racket spectacularly behind his back and eventually even scoring the point. But the enthusiastic cheers of the audience didn’t help the man from Omaha, he lost the game – and showed some emotion. A return error lead to the destroyal of his racket. Monfils wasn’t impressed by this. Despite two more break points for Roddick, the man from Paris didn’t lose any more service games and ended the quarter-final with an ace, winning 7:5,6:3.

Andy Roddick was quite composed after the defeat: “I thought I hit the ball pretty well. But it is tough on clay and much harder to score a point than on other surfaces. As far as Paris goes, I’ll have to get better at the big points, especially at serving the set out. Talking about Monfils, this man shouldn’t be numer 75 but much farther up. And he shouldn’t lose some matches like he does. He is definitely one of the best athletes in tennis and moves perfectly on the court. But consistency is the difference between the top 10 and players further back in the ranking.”

Gael Monfils said after his victory over the superstar of Pörtschach: “Andy doesn’t like clay. Furthermore, I know him from last year in Rome where I defeated him. Therefore I knew how to play him. My forehand surely was my best weapon today.”

In the second match on the centre court the former US Open und Wimbledon Champion Lleyton Hewitt played Argentinian surprise quarter finalist Diego Hartfield.

Compared to the previous fight, the match between the Australian and the No 97 in the ranking developed into a one-sided affair. Without having to exert himself Hewitt won the first set clearly by 6:2. Things didn’t change much in the second set, Hewitt had little problems winning 6:2 once again and reaching the semi-finals where he will have to face Gael Monfils. The Australian on the coming match: “He is a very good player, he moves extremely well on the court and has a very strong serve. I am expecting a really tough match tomorrow.”

Important note for tomorrow, Friday:

World of TUI and the travel agency Pregesbauer will raffle a great voyage for two persons on Friday on the centre court during the break between the two semi-finals.

The prize for the winner is a one-week-vacation in a four star hotel in Mallorca.
Goalkeeper-legend Michael Konsel will be the fortune bringer.

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The stars, beside Ivan Ljubicic who dropped out yesterday, also remain true to the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet.at.home.com after today.

This is also a very positive aspect for Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb: “Since all our Austrians have already dropped out our superstars Davydenko, Roddick and Hewitt prove by their performances that each of them really wants to win the tournament. They all want to prepare as good as possible for the French Open next week in Paris and play as many matches as they can. That obviously accomodates our tournament in Pörtschach.”

Former US Open and Wimbledon Champion Lleyton Hewitt started into his match against Koubek-defeater Potito Starace with an immediate break, subsequently controlled the Italian und clearly won the first set by 6:4. The second set brought a break for the Australian for 3:2. But Starace got into the match better and better and Hewitt had to ward off three break points at 4:3. Even nearing the end of the match Starace fought valiantly against defeat. Hewitt needed no less than five match points before finally triumphing by 6:4 and 6:4.

Hewitt about his second round match: “I had a good start into the match and was able to put pressure on him. In the end I made the big points. It was nevertheless a challenge since my opponent grew up on this surface. I am taking one match at a time but the final would, of course, be fantastic. It is a a good preparation for Paris, in any case.”

The remaining single players today also qualified for the last eight in two straight sets. Juan Monaco defeated Michael Russel by 6:3,61 and qualifier Diego Hartfield from Argentina prevailed over US-American Vincent Spadea by 6:4, 7:6 (5).

The doubles competition today saw a duel between Austrians. No 1 seeded duo Julian Knowle/ Simon Aspelin closely defeated Stefan Koubek/ Alexander Peya by 7:6 (1) and 7:5. No problems, on the other hand, for the two US-Americans Andy Roddick/Amer Delic who won over the two Czechs Frantisek Cermak/ Petr Pala by 6:2 and 6:4.

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Superstar Andy Roddick, the No 2 of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com played his role as favourite very well today in the first match on the centre court in Pörtschach.

The No 3 in the ranking faced 26-year-old Dane Kristian Pless. During the first games of set one there seemed to be little difference between the No 81 in the world and the US-American as far as the serve was concerned. Both smoothly won their service games until 5:4 for Roddick. But A-Rod’s class showed at the decisive moment and he broke Pless for 6:4.

Pless seemed to get over the loss of set one quite well but had to call for the physiotherapist at 1:1 in the second set to attend to his neck. Almost immediately following this Roddick took the opportunity to break the Dane for a pre-decisive 3:1 after an embattled game. Thereafter the superstar played the match home for the final standing of 6:4,6:3.

Andy Roddick was quite content with his game after the victory: “The tournament has been good so far just like this match. One break in each set was enough. But I’ll be playing the doubles to exert. I can’t talk about the title yet for Monfils, for example, has defeated me in 2006 in Rome in the quarter finals – if I should play him next. Also, everybody knows that clay is not my best surface but I enjoy the challenge.”

In the second match on the centre court in Pörtschach the No 1 of the tournament, Nikolay Davydenko, met Ecuadorian Nicolas Lapentti, who had defeated the Russian in their three previous encounters. And Davydenko immediately had to ward off two break points in his first service game but turned the tables in the sixth game and turned his second break point against Lapentti into a 4:3 lead. At 5:4 the No 4 in the ranking once more warded off three break points and finally turned his first set point into a 6:4 win.

The second set saw a more aggressive Davydenko who took a break for 2:1. Subsequently the No 65 in the world showed fitness deficiencies and couldn’t keep up with the Russian. Davydenko broke the Ecuadorian once more and experiencedly played the match home for the final result of 6:4,6:2.

Nikolay Davydenko drew a satisfying balance: “So far I’ve always played bad tennis against Lapentti so I knew that I had to put some pressure on him today, had to attack more. And that worked out well. I am feeling good, have already won two matches here in Pörtschach. That is important for Roland Garros since the conditions are the same there.”

The first match of the day on court 1 of the Werzer Arena saw the duel between French shooting star Gael Monfils and Hyung-Taik Lee from Korea. The Frenchman, on his way back up following several injuries, only had a tough time during the first set and finally won by 7/6(5) and 6:4. But the times will get tougher for his opponent in the quarter finals will be no other than Andy Roddick.

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Followig a rain intermission of approx. 1 hour the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com on the Werzer Arena in Pörtschach commenced with the match between the No 1, Nikolay Davydenko versus Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo. The title-holder had little problems winning by 6:3,6:0.

Davydenko took the first break for 2:1 in the first set. Subsequently the Spaniard lost his serve twice to 4:1 for the Russian. Then the No 1 lost his serve in turn for the first time by two double faults for 4:2. Ramirez Hidalgo caught up to 4:3 but soon it was the Russian’s turn once again who won his own service game for 5:3 and then broke his opponent once again for 6:3. In the second set Davydenko didn’t show any more weakness and superiorly won by 6:0. The title-holder, who wants to become an Austrian citizen soon, about his first round victory: “I played well but the match is not really a measure since my opponent made to many errors. Pörtschach, by the way, will be my only tournament in Austria, I won’t play in Kitzbühel and Vienna.”

The third match on the centre court saw the former US Open and Wimbledon-Champion Lleyton Hewitt and Argentinian Sergio Roitman on the opposite sides of the net. The Australian who had lost his first round in Pörtschach last year and kept his promise to return this year had no problems to defeat Sergio Roitman by 6:2 and 6:2. Hewitt on his first round victory: “Pörtschach is a nice place but the clay is somewhat different to Hamburg. Therefore it took me a while to adapt and get into the match. But I took a lot of positive out of the match.”

In Ivan Ljubicic the tournament lost its No 3. The Croatian lost the first set in the tie-breaker by (6) 6:7 and was broken once in the second set. Thus the Number seven in the world lost against the very well playing Peruvian Luis Horna.

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The last Austrian in the main draw, Austria’s No 1 Jürgen Melzer, was the first to play at 13.00 on the centre court of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com.

The man from Deutsch-Wagram, back in the Top 30 in the ranking since Monday, faced Argentinian Juan Monaco (No 47). And the No 47 already had to fight in the first service game – at 30:40 Melzer had the first opportunity to break and took it to lead 1:0. But at 1:2 from Monaco’s point of view the clay specialist managed a re-break. The following games saw several more break chances for the Austrian – six overall in the first set – but to no avail.

At 4:3 for Monaco the Argentinian claimed a second serve by Melzer was out, a viewpoint umpire Steve Ullrich (USA) also took after examining the mark: double fault. The Austrian’s frustration lead to several errors which in turn lead to the break for 3:5. During Monaco’s next service game Melzer had two breakpoints but couldn’t realise them and Monaco served the set out for 6:4.

The second set became a one-sided affair for the Argentinian. He already broke Melzer for 2:1. Melzer then risked much and the result were many unforced errors. Following two further breaks Monaco finally left the court as clear 6:3,6:1 winner and the last Austrian in the main draw on the Werzer Arena had dropped out.

A frustrated Jürgen Melzer said after the defeat: “My opponent played very well. He didn’t make any errors and forced his game on me. I couldn’t realise the tactics I had prior to the match. I took a lot of risk in the second set. This unfortunatly didn’t work out but even if I’d stayed at the baseline more and taken less risk my game wouldn’t have improved. Juan was a class above me today. Sadly, it was one-way-tennis. Now I’ll fly to Paris to prepare as best as I can for the French Open. I didn’t have any problems with my wrist or my shoulder.”

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Atmospheric opening night for the tournament week of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, on Saturday evening on the Monte Carlo Square in Pörtschach.

The „Zipfer Players“ party attracted no less than 2000 fans who danced to the hot rhythms of the topical chart-breakers. Ö3 disc jockey Alex List and the Hypo Cheerleader were in top form and took care of a long, hot night in Pörtschach.

Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb, who not only welcomed the representatives of the ATP tour and many players was very taken with the opening night: “Since we offer the fans, beside the sportive highlights, a varied program with free admission in the Trade Village throughout the week under the header „EnterTennisment“ I was especially happy that so many people attended this event and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.”

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Only four hours after his arrival from Chicago US-superstar Andy Roddick completed his first training session on the centre court in Pörtschach with his American double-partner Amer Delic. After an hour of playing he said: “It is a beautiful stadium, the surface is hard and dry and I feel very comfortable here.” He showed some surprise that so many media people had been waiting for him at his arrival at the airport in Klagenfurt.

Jürgen Melzer and Alexander Peya, who will play Andy Roddick in the first round, found perfect outer conditions on the newly adapted centre court during their training session. Melzer played with a special wristband on his left hand: “This is just a precaution for my wrist. As far as the shoulder injury from Hamburg is concerned, I hope to be absolutely fit again until Tuesday. Today everything was fine, at least.”

Peya has already come to terms with his tough draw against Roddick: “That isn’t an issue anymore, that can happen at any tournament. Everything else is al right except for the light-shadow-situation that bothered me somewhat during the training but that is the same for everybody, after all.”

Unfortunately, all four Austrians gave away the opportunity to reach the next qualification round. Martin Fischer as well as Rainer Eitzinger lost their matches in three close sets while the two wild card players Philipp Oswald and Nico Reissig were clearly defeated.

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Andy Roddick, the No 2 of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com arrived this morning in Carinthia. The US-star who had flown in from Chicago to Munich was picked up personally by Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb in his private jet and flown to Klagenfurt.

There he was welcomed by the State Governor of Carinthia, Dr. Jörg Haider, who said: “Recently it was a little quiet in Pörtschach as far as tennis is concerned but now we’ll reestablish the city. That obvioulsy takes crowd favourites and Andy Roddick definitely is such a player. Therefore I am very happy that it was possible to sign this star for the tournament. In this sense: Kitzbühel is dead and Carinthia lives.”

Andy Roddick, No 4 in the world, was very enthused by Ronnie Leitgeb’s flying skills and Carinthia in general: “The flight was really amazing. I enjoyed it, especially the beautiful landscape. Only my brother was a little bit nervous. I am happy to be back in Austria and I’m looking forward to the tournament.”

Concerning his plans for the next week the US-American said: “I am definitely not here just to train. Pörtschach offers the perfect opportunity to prepare for the French Open. And I want to win.”

Roddick’s first-round-opponent will be Austrian wild card player Alexander Peya, No 92 in the ranking. “I remember Alexander. In 2004 I beat him in the second round at Wimbledon. But it is of course difficult to play the first round against an Austrian here”, said Roddick.

The US Open Champion of 2003 also announced the possibility of the visit of a legendary retired tennis star to the Lake Wörthersee. His coach, Jimmy Connors, might come to Pörtschach later next week to support his protégé.

Four Austrians were drawn for the qualification. Philipp Oswald and Nico Reissig via wild card, as well as Martin Fischer and Rainer Eitzinger. Unfortunately, Oswald and Fischer have already lost their matches, as reported above.

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The draw for the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com took place this evening at 18.00 in the City Arkaden in Klagenfurt.

In the presence of Tanja Lewin, Manager of CITY Arkaden Klagenfurt, Authorised Representative Horst Prentner of the Hypo Alpe Adria Group, ATP Supervisor Tom Barnes (USA), ATP Tour Manager Fabrizio Sestini, Chief Umpire Dr. Peter Madl, player Diego Hartfield as well as Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb very interesting matches were drawn.

For instance, Austrian Alexander Peya, who had been awarded the third wild card, will face the No 2 of the tournament, Andy Roddick. The Austrian comments this tough draw: “A draw obviously is no wishing well. It definitely will be very hard for me to play against Roddick. I don’t have much to lose but it is still an interesting challenge to play such a star at home. Roddick, by the way, already once was my opponent in Wimbledon.“

Tomorrow, Saturday, Roddick will be picked up by Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb in Munich with his private aeroplane and then travel on to Klagenfurt where he will be welcomed by State Governor Dr. Jörg Haider at about 11.30. In the afternoon Roddick already plans to take up training. His wish is to play the double competition with his countryman Amer Delic on Sunday and then play the single versus Peya on Monday.

Jürgen Melzer has no easy opponent in Juan Monaco. But if the Austrian can keep up his Hamburg-form he should be able to prevail. His second round opponent will be the winner of the match Vasallo versus Russel. Melzer will arrive in Pörtschach on Saturday and take up the training with Alexander Peya from 17.00 on on the centre court. Local hero Stefan Koubek has a somewhat easier draw. In the first round the Carinthian will face a qualifier while the next round could lead to a match against Lleyton Hewitt. The Australian plays Argentinian Sergio Roitman in the 1st round.

Spaniard Ramirez Hidalgo shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle for Nikolay Davydenko, title holder and No 1 of the tournament. The same holds true for Ivan Ljubicic who will face Roddick’s double-partner, Amer Delic. Crowd favourite Gael Monfils from France will play Danai Udomchoke from Thailand.

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The Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, will commence next Saturday with the qualification and on Sunday with the main draw competition on the Werzer tennis courts in Pörtschach.

Three days prior to the start the tournament was upgraded even further. US-American Andy Roddick, No 1 in the world in 2003, wants to check his form in Carinthia one week before the beginning of the French Open in Paris. “I want to play as much as possible, something I already managed at this tournament in St. Pölten in 2003. There I won on clay my first ATP title in Europe.“

Superstar Roddick is the absolute No 1 in the USA following Andre Agassi’s retirement. Since 2000 he won 21 titles overall, among them a victory at the US Open. He also reached the finals 13 times. This year he reached the semi finals at the US Open, as well as those in Indian Wells and San Jose. In Memphis he stood in the final. His coach, by the way, is none other than legendary long-time number one Jimmy Connors.

Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb was obviously very happy about the signing of Andy Roddick: “It payed off to wait as long as possible before awarding the three wild cards. I know the ways of the international tennis business very well and acted accordingly. We can be very proud of this starter list. No other World Series Tournament was able to boast of so many superstars this year so far. I am also happy for our main sponsors, the Hypo Group Alpe Adria, as well as bet-at-home.com, as our partners at this tennis gala. And it is also a great worldwide calling card for the Federal State of Carinthia thanks to the many television broadcasts.“

This wont be affected by the fact that Mario Ancic had to cancel his participation due to his affliction with glandular fever.

But Pörtschach will not only be the sportive centre of attention next week. The social program under the header “EnterTennisment” will also offer many highlights, with free admission for the fans. Top of the list will be the live appearance of Austria’s current “Hype-Band” No 1, “She Says” on Thursday, May 24.

One also shouldn’t forget the Charity Notion in benefit of the SOS Children’s Village Carinthia on Monday with the Charity Poker and on Saturday with the VIP Pedal Boat Race. The proceeds shall offer youths the opportunity to enjoy an exceptional experience within the project “Lust auf Meer“ (Fun on the Sea) in the Northern Adriatic Sea.

The grand opening will be the “Zipfer Players Party” on Saturday with all tennis stars on the Monte Carlo Square in Pörtschach from 22.00 on.

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The Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com will commence next Friday, May 18, with the drawing ceremony at 18.00 at the City Arkaden in Klagenfurt.

The qualification will be played from Saturday to Sunday and on Sunday afternoon the first matches of the main draw will also be held.

After Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb had announced the first prominent wild card player, three-times French Open Champion Gustavo Kuerten from Brazil, he nominated the second player to play directly in the main draw today.

It is French shooting star Gael Monfils, just 21 years old. Despite being on the tour only since 2004 the right hander has already made his mark in the tennis world. Last year he could be found on place 23 in the ranking. Several subsequent injuries have handicapped him since but currently he is on his way back up. This year he already won in Sunrise and offered a spectacular fight in his match versus Cypriot Baghdatis at the Australian Open which he won in four sets. “What impresses me most about Monfils is that he not only plays great tennis but also offers a grand show for the fans. I am sure that this will also be the case in Pörtschach“, says Leitgeb.

With Montfils competing, Davydenko, Ljubicic, Ancic, Hewitt, Hrbaty and Melzer will face a further serious contender for the title win.

Another positive aspect is the ORF broadcast of the event. All seven tournament days will be covered, 32 hours live coverage overall on ORF 1 and OSP, furthermore daily summaries in OSP with a total amount of 7,30 hours.

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The Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, will commence next Saturday, May 19, with the qualification in Pörtschach.

Beside Nikolay Davydenko, Ivan Ljubicic, Mario Ancic, Lleyton Hewitt, Dominik Hrbaty and Austria’s No 1 Jürgen Melzer, Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb has announced the first wild card player today.

“It is legendary Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. 30-year-old “Guga” is one of the all-time greats of tennis to me. He triumphed three times overall at the French Open plus winning twenty ATP-titles in his career. He competed with Thomas Muster back then, the last time beating him in 1997 in Roland Garros. In December of 2000 the Brazilian was No 1 in the world. Currently “Guga” is being coached by Larri Passos. The very coach who has been successfully accompanying Tamira Paszek on the tour during the last six months,“ says Leitgeb.

Paszek has highly benefited by this cooperation so far and has been able to qualify for the main draw at the Australian Open, for instance. The young lady from Vorarlberg will also come to Pörtschach for some training units with Larri Passos. Thereby she will obviously keep her fingers crossed for Gustavo Kuerten at his Pörtschach debut.

The remaining wild cards will be awarded either tomorrow, Tuesday, or only on Wednesday, according to Leitgeb: “I definintely want to wait in order to still stand the chance to sign further interesting players for Pörtschach.“

The official draw for the event will take place next Friday, May 18, at 18.00 at the CITY Arkaden Klagenfurt, 9020 Klagenfurt, Heuplatz 5, Untergeschoss (basement), Brunnennähe (close to the fountain).

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From May 19 on Pörtschach will once again be Austria’s tennis heartland. Champ Event as organiser will present the 14th edition under the header Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, on the very popular Werzer courts directly at Lake Wörthersee.

The competitors at this 355.575.- Euro classic are something to behold. Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb has drummed up business for Carinthia at many events in Europe and overseas. Title holder Nikolay Davydenko, No 4 in the world, will be competing and try to win this tournament for the third time in a row. First-time competitors will be the two super-servers Ivan Ljubicic (No 8) and Mario Ancic (No 14). Both superstars are from Croatia, a country where the Hypo Alpe Adria Group, main sponsor of the tournament, has extensive business connections. One can especially look forward to the return of US Open and Wimbledon Champion Lleyton Hewitt. The Australian who lost his first round in Pörtschach last year has thereby kept his promise to come back to Carinthia. “This time I’ve been warned. I want to play a whole tournament week prior to Paris,“ explains the man from Down Under optimistically.

Austria’s hopes lie on the shoulders of Jürgen Melzer. The Lower Austrian has played a good season so far, moved up in the ranking and recently showed promise for a further improvement at his home tournament by reaching the quarter finals in Munich. Melzer stood in the final in St. Pölten in 2005 where he was narrowly defeated in three sets by Russian Davydenko. There is also hope that local hero Stefan Koubek will be pushed on by the fans in his home state of Carinthia and manage to survive several rounds.

Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb yet wants to wait and see as far as the still open wild cards are concerned. “I want to at least wait for the still running tournament in Rome to finish. Things should be clearer by the beginning of next week. I simply want to take up every opportunity to perhaps sign another top player for Pörtschach. I already have a lot of requests by applicants.“

Following the final in Pörtschach the French Open in Roland Garros will commence. An important reason for presenter Champ Event to offer Paris competitors already in Carinthia the very court conditions that are simply necessary in order to be successful in Paris. All courts on the Werzer Tennis Facilities have been prepared accordingly. For that purpose 12 tons of sand were imported from France and the volume processed in its entirety. The original Roland Garros-balls also have already arrived in Pörtschach.

The VIP area has been completely redesigned. Now the guests are given the opportunity to watch the matches on the centre court directly from there. A seperate area for the press has also been set up at the centre court. The Trade Village has been newly designed. The Players Lounge, for instance, has been set up there in order to increse the contact between players and fans. In this area the businessmen of Pörtschach have the opportunity to present their enterprises. Many sponsors will also take up this opportunity to make their products the centre of attention for visitors. On a showstage several side events will be included with free admission.

Great care was taken with the social program of the event. Under the header “EnterTennisment” a diversified program will be offered throughout the week. Among the highlights will be the “Zipfer Players“ Party, “Falco forever“, the Football Champions League Final and the group “She Says,“ that has won last year’s Ö3 Soundcheck Competition.

The Charity Notion at such a big sportive event is of special concern to Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb. Within “EnterTennisment” the Charity Poker Evening on Monday, May 21 and the Charity Pedal Boat Race on Saturday, May 26 will be completely under the sign of aid for children and youths. In close cooperation and under the supervision of SOS Children’s Village Carinthia one project will be actively supported.

Maria Theresia Unterlercher, General Manager of SOS Children’s Village Carinthia, and her team take care of approximately 120 children and youths: “The welfare of these children and youths is our main concern. Our most important job is to take good care of everyday needs, school, education, health and much more. Above that holidays are obviously most cherished by all our kids and youths. And I am always overjoyed when there is readiness to help in order to financially enable and support active and meaningful leisure time activities. At SOS Children’s Village we also use the holidays to realise experiential education projects. Meaningful leisure time activities are especially important to youths. To be active – learning to take repsonsibility – to adapt to completely new situations – to be considerate of others – to appreciate the environment and forces of nature – to make an effort and learn to overcome opposition – these are core elements of experiential pedagogics. Thereby personal blockades can be surmounted and new life coping strategies learned in a playful/sportive manner,“ explains the General Manager.

Such a project is this year’s “Lust auf Meer“ (Fun on the Sea), a sailing trip in the Northern Adriatic Sea. The proceeds of this charity event will offer youths the opportunity for an exceptional experience this year. The employment of one boat with seven youths of the SOS Children’s Village Carinthia amounts to circa € 3.800,- for 10 days. It would be great if all people involved in the 14th edition of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, would, beside this one boat, offer further youths the chance to participate in this project.

The vicinity to the Mediterranean creates an almost mediterranean climate and grants an exceptional amount of sunshine hours in Austria’s southernmost federal state. Summer in Carinthia has a lot to offer. Embedded in a singular landscape with high peaks and rolling hills the country offers over 1.200 lakes to refresh oneself in the water, be sportively active or simply let the soul relax while lying on the beach. Therefore the tournament’s motto is “Carinthia is southern fun in the sun”.

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Carinthia is known as a favoured holiday-country thanks to its fantastic landscape. But the slogan „Holidays with Friends“ not only attracts numerous tourists to the region for many millionaires have also made their home along the Lake Wörthersee due to the beauty of the country.

On the occasion of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home-com, these gentlemen will be visited by international tennis top stars who also have become millionaires during the course of their careers.

The top ten players in Pörtschach taken together alone have earned a prize money of over 53 million dollars on the ATP tour so far. This does not even include appearance fees and highly remunerated supplier contracts. Wimbledon- and US Open-winner Lleyton Hewitt is the absolute front-runner by over 16 million dollar prize money. He is followed by Ivan Ljubicic with over 6 million and title holder Nikolay Davydenko with 5,5 million dollars.

But the Pörtschach competitors are not only tops in this respect. Some of them also lead the topical ATP statistics worldwide. Ivan Ljubicic has scored the most aces so far. His service was unreachable for the opponent no less than 400 times in 28 matches. Second-placed is his countryman and wild card applicant Ivo Karlovic, who was successful 316 times in 17 matches. Karlovic also leads in the first-serve-statistics and at won service games superiorly in front of Rafael Nadal.

Another Pörtschach competitor is absolute front-runner where the return is concerned. Australian Lleyton Hewitt converted 62 percent of break points in 13 matches. No wonder that Lleyton Hewitt is regarded as the best counterpuncher and therefore as the legitimate successor of Andre Agassi.

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Pörtschach is worth a trip for Americans, too. No less than
four US-boys will come to the Lake Wörthersee – Michael
Russell, Amer Delic, Sam Querrey and Vincent Spadea.

As far as wild cards go, Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb
won’t put the cards on the table until the last moment

In just over a month the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, will commence in Pörtschach. This 355.575 Euro ATP-tournament will already take place for the fourteenth time this year. Following 12 years in St. Pölten the tournament will now be held for the second time in Austria’s tennis-mecca Pörtschach.

This year’s tournament can be proud to boast of no less than four absolute top stars. Title holder Nikolay Davydenko from Russia, No 4 in the world, the two Coratians Ivan Ljubicic, No 8, and “Super Mario” Ancic, No 13, as well as US Open- and Wimbledon-Champion Lleyton Hewitt, No 19, have already been announced as competitors. But there are many more well-known names of international tennis to be found in the Official Player Acceptance List recently released by the ATP. It is also remarkable that the cut-off of 78 is more than satisfactory and says a lot about the significance of this tournament in Pörtschach.

Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty, No 25, is already an old acquaintance of the tournament in Carinthia. Even though last year he dropped out in the first round in Pörtschach, this year he already reached the last 32 at the Australian Open and also the last sixteen in Dubai and Auckland. All in all Hrbaty has already won six titles and reached the finals of an ATP tournament seven times in his career. Not yet as well known but already ranked No 36 is Stanislas Wawrinka. Last year the Swiss won in Umag and reached the finals of Gstaad while this year he reached the last 32 at the Australian Open. Always good-natured and therefore a darling of the fans is Korean Hyung-Taik Lee, No 49 in the world. The 31-year-old has been on the tour since 1995 and won in Sydney in 2003 as well as reaching the finals in Houston in 2001. This year he stood in the quarter-finals in San Jose. An interesting man to compete in Carinthia is Kristof Vliegen. The Belgian ranks No 51, has been in the finals of Adelaide and Munich so far and this year reached the quarter-finals in Auckland as well as the last sixteen in Rotterdam. Argentinian Juan Monaco will arrive in Pörtschach as No 52 in the world. He had a great season this year so far, winning in Buenos Aires and reaching the quarter-finals in Auckland and Costa do Sauipe. Belarusian Max Mirnyi, No 54, has a victory in Rotterdam and three finals in Stuttgart, Memphis and Nottingham to his account. This year he reached the quarter-finals in Doha. Chilean Nicolas Massu’s, No 55, baggage for Carinthia contains six titles and nine finals. This year the Olympic Champion of Athens reached the finals of Vina del Mar, the semi-finals of Sunrise, the quarter-finals of Acapulco and the round of the last sixteen in Auckland.

Spain is also represented in Pörtschach by Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo, No 60. The doubles-specialist has already partaken in three finals this year and reached the singles-last sixteen in Acapulco, Costa do Sauipe and Doha. Nicolas Lapentti, currently No 63, is very well-known to Austrians. The man from Ecuador has won five titles so far, among them the ones in Kitzbühel in 2001 and in St. Pölten in 2002.

A real asset is the participation of no less than four US-Americans at this clay-tournament. Vincent Spadea, No 77, is surely the best-known of these. Besides one ATP-title he reached the finals four times, among them St. Pölten in 1998. With Sam Querrey, No 67, this year in the quarter-finals of Las Vegas and Memphis, Michael Russel, No 68, winner in Joplin, Waikola and Nouama and Amer Delic, No 70, who reached the last sixteen in Miami, Memphis and Dallas, young hopefuls are coming to Europe for the first time to gather further experiences. One must also mention Luis Horna, No 74, from Peru. Last year the South-American was victorious in Acapulco and this year in Vina del Mar. He also reached the quarter-finals in Buenos Aires. And Daniele Bracciali, No 78, carries the colours of Italy. Last year he won in Casablanca and this year reached the last sixteen in Dubai, Zagreb and Auckland.

Of the Austrians only Jürgen Melzer and Stefan Koubek are qualified for the main competition of the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com. Melzer’s – currently playing in Houston – form is on the rise despite an injury, Koubek is currently afflicted with an ankle ligament injury but should be fit again for Pörtschach.

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At the Hypo Group Tennis International, presented by bet-at-home.com, from May 19 to 26, Austria’s two top players, Jürgen Melzer and Stefan Koubek, will be competing in the main competition.

Last year was the best season so far for Jürgen Melzer, currently ranking No 28. He won his first ATP-title in Bucharest and reached the finals in Houston and Metz. And he continued his successful run in 2007. This year started off with Melzer reaching the semi-finals in Sydney whereas the Lower Austrian even reached the finals in Las Vegas. In 2005 he also had reached the finals at his home tournament in St. Pölten.

Last year he reached the quarter finals at the Hypo Group Tennis International in Pörtschach after beating Stefan Koubek and Frenchman Richard Gasquet, where Czech Jiri Novak stopped him in three sets. Despite an injury Melzer is currently competing successfully in Houston but he should be fit again for Carinthia.

Last year Stefan Koubek only entered the main competition in Pörtschach via wild card where he lost in the first round to Melzer by 4:6 and 5:7. This year the local hero has fought his way back up in the ranking and currently is second-best Austrian as No 69. During his long career he took three ATP-titles in Atlanta, Delray Beach and Doha besides reaching the finals in Bournemouth and Zagreb. This year’s season also started off on a very positive note. The Carinthian reached the finals in Chennai in January as well as the semi-finals in Durban (South Africa) and the quarter finals in Memphis.

There is hope that the support of the home audience might push the native players in Pörtschach to cause a surprise against one of the superstars.

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Lleyton Hewitt already third superstar in Pörtschach
at Hypo Group Tennis International 07

Just like Nikolay Davidenko and Ivan Ljubicic,
Hewitt will try to arrive as top-ten-player for the
tournament in Carinthia at the Werzer Arena

ATP has cancelled the round robin format at the last moment,
therefore the 32 players will compete according to
the traditional knock out format in Pörtschach

Bet-at-home.com will be new presenting sponsor of the tournament
All other activities around the event will be summed up
under the slogan "EnterTennisment"

It is already a given fact that, when the Hypo Group Tennis International 07, from May 19 to 26, will commence, three absolute world-class tennis players, Nikolay Davydenko, Ivan Ljubicic and most recently Lleyton Hewitt, will once again be part of the game at the Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia.

Lleyton Hewitt, the top star who surprisingly had lost his first round match last year in Pörtschach and then had departed for Roland Garros with a foot injury, had already back then announced in writing from France his participation at the Hypo Group Tennis International 07 to Ronnie Leitgeb. "If you know Lleyton then you also know that he is a real sportsman who keeps his promises. I have talked to him several times this year. He is already looking forward to Pörtschach and was enthused by the friendly reception last year. This year he wants to stick around for his fans a lot longer and win the tournament. He also hopes to arrive as a top-ten-player," Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb explained.

Hewitt, No. 1 in the ranking in 2001, has already won Wimbledon as well as the US Open. The right hander is a favourite of the young and also a true fighter. In his career so far he has won 26 singles- and two doubles-titles. He currently is number twenty in the ranking but has the chance to move up thanks to his good form. Recently he won the finals in Las Vegas where he beat Austria's No. 1, Jürgen Melzer, in two sets.

Round Robin:

Within the tournament of Miami last week a worldwide Tournament Directors meeting was held which was also attended by Ronnie Leitgeb. There the ATP cancelled the round robin format that had been planned for several tournaments, Pörtschach among them: "I regret this decision since, beside the organisers, the fans especially would have had the chance to cheer on their favourites at least twice during the tournament. A loophole in the regulation which was immediately pointed out by the players lead to the immediate cancellation by the ATP. But this change does not endanger the Hypo Group Tennis International 07. Now the traditional knockout format will be applied for the 32 players. Our organisation is flexible enough to cope with this surprising modification," explained Leitgeb after his return from Miami.

bet-at-home.com, new presenting sponsor, an Austrian success story:

Beside the Hypo Group Alpe Adria Group as main sponsor of the ATP tournament in Pörtschach, a new presenting sponsor has been won for the event.

In December of 1999 Franz Ömer and Jochen Dickinger founded bet-at-home.com GmbH. A company that offers sports- and table game bets exclusively via the ever expanding internet and has been noted from the beginning for its professional profile and top quotas. Back then, a true success story had begun. Today the company, meanwhile quoted, is among the leading online betting providers worldwide.

Rapid development

In 2004 the conversion into an AG (stock corporation) took place in combination with the founding of subsidiaries in Malta. Currently the bet-at-home.com stock is listed at the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Vienna. At the end of 2005 the relaunch of the website also added the fields of "poker" and "casino" to the business area. bet-at-home.com can therefore offer an extensive product range, a strong brand with a high awareness level and enormous growth rates. The most recent figures of this success story are impressive: in 2006, for instance, about 800.000 registered clients from over 70 countries have provided for sales of approximately 320 million Euro.

Success has many languages

Mainly responsible for this popularity is the repeatedly awarded customer service which has top priority at bet-at-home.com: bets are settled immediately following the end of the game and inquiries via e-mail are answered in the shortest time possible. The continuous exploration of new markets has added new languages during the years. Currently the website is offered in no less than 15 languages.

Life is a game

Beside an extensive offer of horse-, dog- and sports-bets one of the main assets is the online-casino which has opened in 2005: a multitude of card games, video poker and classic table games are available. Furthermore, the numerous slot machines are highly popular. Since October 2006 users of bet-at-home.com can also delve into the fascinating world of the most popular card-game. Seven different versions of poker and dozens of tournaments are being offered around the clock.

"EnterTennisment"

This slogan, created by Tournament Director Ronnie Leitgeb, will from now on sum up all activities that turn the ATP tournament into the social summer opening at Lake Wörthersee:

- Entertainment
- Information
- Fun
- Individual activities
- and gastronomic delicacies

The focus of the "Trade Village" will be an event-stage with a large vidi-wall. Matches from the centre court will be broadcast live just as miscellaneous entertainment programs.

With free admission the fans get the opportunity to inform themselves of the newest pieces of sports equipment, check out cool mobiles or try out the dernier cri of sunglasses. Well-known athletes will also be present, just as numerous show events for young and old.

The start will be made by the Players' Party on May 19 on the Monte Carlo Square and in the Congress Centre.

On the occasion of the Football Champions League finale a hosted special event with well-known football players, the tennis players and significant VIPs will take place.

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Last year's winner Nikolay Davydenko will also compete
at Hypo Group Tennis International 07

The Russian took a short break in Klagenfurt
following the tournament in Dubai to meet with
Governor Dr. Jörg Haider and Tournament Manager
Ronnie Leitgeb for a photo shoot this afternoon
at the provincial government in Klagenfurt

Thus Davydenko is, after Ivan Ljubicic, already the
second top ten player to compete in the Werzer Arena
in Pörtschach from May 19th to 26th

Nikolay Davydenko, number 3 in the world at the beginning of the year, will also try to defend his title in Pörtschach this year. The Russian has won five ATP titles overall and has reached the quarter finals at the Australian Open, as well as the semi finals in Doha and Rotterdam this year. Recently he also reached the last sixteen in Dubai.

Today, Monday, he took a break in Klagenfurt where he was welcomed by Tournament Manager Ronnie Leitgeb: "I am very happy that Nikolay has decided to personally visit Carinthia for the signing of the contract. He particularly likes the Lake Wörthersee area and feels right at home here. Davydenko is also an enthusiastic fisher which is why he will spare an hour for his favourite hobby at the Lake Wörthersee today, as well."

The Russian was also welcomed by Governor Dr. Jörg Haider on Monday afternoon (March 5) at the provincial government in Klagenfurt. Afterwards a photo shoot took place.

Following Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, who has already signed a contract for Pörtschach, the Hypo Group Tennis International 07 is happy to welcome the second top ten player to the tournament.

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Pörtschach will remain Austria’s absolute
tennis centre for a long time to come

Main sponsor Hypo Group Alpe Adria,
the municipality of Pörtschach and Kärnten
Sport are important partners in this aim

Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) will be the first top ten player
to compete in the Werzer Arena

For the ATP the Hypo Group Tennis International in Pörtschach will remain an integral part of the tournament calendar which will be partly rearranged in 2008.

According to Tournament Manager Ronnie Leitgeb, this sportive decision concerning the future of the tournament lead to very positive reactions by the most important partners, as well: “I have had talks with the municipality of Pörtschach, Kärnten Sport and the Hypo Group Alpe Adria concerning a long-term cooperation with these institutions. Therefore Pörtschach, embedded in the beautiful atmosphere of the Lake “Wörther See” and the Karawanken, will offer a long-term stage for the event. My goal is to turn this tournament into the centre of tennis sport for the Alpe Adria countries. This fascinating sport has a high significance for the countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Italy. I will therefore try to attract top-players from these regions to Pörtschach. This holds already true for our first star whom we have announced today.“

The first prominent player to serve in Pörtschach from May 19 to 26, 2007 will be Ivan Ljubicic. The 28-year-old Croatian currently ranks No. 8 in the world. He has won seven single-titles so far in his career, among them the triumph in the Wiener Stadthalle (Viennese town hall) in 2005. This year he already was victorius in Doha and reached the finals in Zagreb and last weeken in Rotterdam.

This year the 355.575 Euro-tournament in Pörtschach will be held according to the novel round robin format. The main competition will consist of eight groups with three players each. Thus there will be eight seeded players in the groups, the remaining two will be chosen by lot. Therefore each player has to compete twice in his group. The winner of each group will have reached the quarter finals which will be held on Thursday of the tournament week.

Twelve players overall will be able to take part in the qualifying. Three of these will qualify for the main competition. Added to these are three players that will be nominated by the organisers via wild card. Therefore 24 players overall will participate in the main competition of the Hypo Group Tennis International 07.

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