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On the „Day of the Austrians“, a red-white-red trio fights for a place in the round of 16 at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz!
We are looking forward to the first round matches of Lilli Tagger, Julia Grabher and Sinja Kraus and provide all the important information for an unforgettable day of tennis.
Probably the biggest talking point this year at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz is undoubtedly Lilli Tagger's debut. The East Tyrolean won the title in the junior competition at last year's French Open and is now completing her first full year on the WTA Tour. Tagger already played her first-round doubles match last night together with her compatriot Anastasia Potapova - in the end they lost by a wafer-thin margin, although the Austrians had four match points.
Now the full focus is on her singles match against Paula Badosa. Tagger's premiere at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz is a real milestone for her. In 2021, she was named ÖTV Young Player of the Year at Austria's biggest women's sporting event - now she herself is the centre of attention on centre court. She still has to learn how to deal with the increased interest from the media and the public: „You do notice it and it's a special situation, but of course it's also really nice. When children ask me for a selfie, I can't just say no,“ said the player from Lienz.
What's in store for her today? A tricky task against an established player who is on her way back to top form and has a wealth of experience after more than ten years on the tour. Tagger, on the other hand, has a youthful carefree attitude, plenty of courage and guts, great power from the baseline and a one-handed backhand that alone will be worth the entrance fee this Tuesday. We are therefore in for a simply historic match that will perhaps be remembered for many years to come. Lilli's Linz premiere: We'd be ready!
Lilli Tagger
Julia Grabher
Immediately after Lilli Tagger (not before 6 p.m.), it's time for Austria's number one Julia Grabher, who also has a challenging opening hurdle to overcome with Alexandra Eala. „She is a fighter. I'm preparing myself for a tough match, but if I find my game, I have a good chance. With the crowd behind me, a lot is possible,“ says the Vorarlberg native, who is very confident despite her health problems in recent weeks.
After all, she not only plays in front of her home fans, but also on her favourite surface. Grabher has already trained with Eala on one or two occasions, but the two have not yet faced each other on the tour. After her serious wrist injury, Grabher has invested a lot in catching up with the world's best again. She has definitely achieved this with her return to the top 100. The short-term goal would be to reach the round of 16 at her home WTA tournament for the very first time - a first that is definitely worth fighting for.
Sinja Kraus has returned to the Design Centre with a lot of self-confidence. The 23-year-old was beaming with anticipation for her match against Romanian Sorana Cirstea at the media event. „It's her last year on the tour. She's ending her career after the season. That's why I'm trying to send her home as quickly as possible,“ says Kraus. And quite rightly so: her form is good, she has a new coach in German Alex Grau and Kraus cracked the top 100 for the first time a few weeks ago.
Sinja Kraus
The next challenge would be to qualify for the main draw at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Incidentally, the deadline for the French Open is immediately after the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. Kraus is still a few points short of reaching this goal. Perhaps home advantage will make the decisive difference? The indoor clay court certainly suits Sinja Kraus. „I like playing on clay indoors. Last year, I also won an indoor clay court tournament in Szekesfehervar in Hungary,“ recalls Kraus. Well then, nothing stands in the way of an emotional and successful „Day of the Austrians“!
Age: 18
Born in: Lienz, Austria
World ranking position: 117
Greatest success: Roland Garros Juniors-Winner (2025)
Age: 28
Born in: New York, USA
World ranking position: 102
Greatest success: Winner Indian Wells (2021)
Ekaterina Alexandrova
Thanks to Alexandra Eala, Linz is now on everyone's lips in the Philippines. The 20-year-old from Quezon City has quickly become a real star in her home country. She has more than a million followers on Instagram. Eala, who has been preparing for the clay court season at the Rafa Nadal Academy on Mallorca together with Iga Swiatek, is already feeling right at home at the Design Centre. „I think Linz is a great place to start the clay season. I feel very comfortable here - it's very warm, even though it can still get cold outside,“ she said in her press conference in Linz with a friendly smile.
She knows her opponent today, Julia Grabher, from training sessions together and has great respect for the Vorarlberg native. „I think she's a great player. Very fit and very strong. I will give it my all,” said Eala, whose favourite surface is actually hard court.
Paula Badosa's career has been a real rollercoaster ride, with a chronic back injury forcing her to take longer and longer breaks. But the former world number two is a fighter - and is now competing in Linz for the first time! Will the Australian Open semi-finalist from 2025 make her debut in Upper Austria? The signs are good, the Spaniard loves Austria.
It is therefore perfect that she is being challenged by Austria's youngster Lilli Tagger in the first round. The two trained together during pre-season preparation in Dubai - both know what to expect. What's more, the hall in Linz seems to be made for her: „I love playing on clay - like a good Spaniard. I also like the indoor conditions and I love the facility here!“
That sounds like a bit of a challenge to Lilli Tagger!
Refreshingly different: Schartner Bombe is more than just a classic lemonade and stands for genuine enjoyment with a history. Schartner Bombe first saw the light of day in 1926 and has been combining quality and regionality ever since.
The cult lemonade impresses with its sparkling freshness and fruity flavours. So: simply treat yourself to a Kultlimo at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz!
The last four „tickets“ for the main draw of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz were played out at the Design Centre on Easter Monday. In the end, Germany's Tamara Korpatsch, top seed Katie Volynets (USA), Aliaksandra Sasnovich and the 2024 Linz semi-finalist Donna Vekic from Croatia fought their way through the qualifiers.
After a playing time of 2:48 hours, the 29-year-old Vekic converted her first match point against Iryna Shymanovich in the qualifying final and triumphed. Today, Tuesday, she will face Katie Volynets in the first round of the main draw in a duel between two qualifiers (not before 3.30 pm). Tamara Korpatsch and Aliaksandra Sasnovich will face real Linz experts in their first round matches. Korpatsch, from Hamburg, will play former Linz finalist Jaqueline Cristian, while Sasnovich will take on Karolina Pliskova, Linz winner in 2014.
Sorana Cirstea will be playing at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz for the eleventh time. She was a guest for the first time in 2009, but this year's appearance on the Danube will be a very special one: after 20 years on the WTA Tour, the Romanian is ending her successful career at the end of this season.
Today she celebrates her 36th birthday. We say from the bottom of our hearts: all the best and thanks for all the Linz moments!
The Linz women's tennis classic celebrated its premiere 35 years ago and today the Upper Austria Ladies Linz is the second oldest WTA indoor tournament in the world.
A walk through the exhibition arch in the Public Village offers a glimpse into the history of over three decades full of top-class matches, famous players and great moments. Not on site? No problem! The exhibition is also available online.
Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere (Switzerland) set an exclamation mark at the premiere of the women's tennis classic in Wels - with tournament victories in singles and doubles. She returned two years later and won the singles title again.
Lilli Tagger
Cool sustainability initiative! Once again this year, Oberösterreichische Versicherung will cover the cost of 1 m² of seed for every ace that is beaten.
Presented by
Senior special: Free coffee & cake with every ticket
Best Friends Package: Pay for 4 tickets and get 1 ticket plus a bottle of wine from Weingut Heribert or a glass of Schlägl beer for free
TBA: Autograph session with Jelena Ostapenko at the LINZ AG stand
11.30 am: Pupils' press conference and video competition with the chance to win 500 euros for the class treasury and vouchers from LINZ AG
5.00 pm: Reception for works council members together with the ÖGB
Centre Court: Flag campaign with PLAN INTERNATIONAL
DAILY ACTIONS:
ORF Radio Wheel of Fortune: Happy hour for children from 5.00 to 6.00 pm
Software Park Hagenberg: Try out VR tennis
Mercedes-Benz: Tennis ball gripper arm with signed tennis balls from Austrian players
Stay on the ball with Upper Austria Ladies Linz! The broadcast times at a glance:
Tuesday, 07.04.2026:
Wednesday, 08.04.2026
Thursday, 09.04.2026
Friday, 10.04.2026
Saturday, 11.04.2026
Sunday, 12.04.2026
*Programme subject to change
Would you like to find out more about the Upper Austria Ladies Linz and expand your knowledge of the tournament's top stars? Then pick up a free copy at the Info Point! Click on the button to access the online version of our programme.
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Maximilianstrasse 30
4600 Wels
Austria
Event hotline: +43 664 990 256 92
e-mail: office@rbgroup.at
Contact
Impress
Privacy policy
Maximilianstrasse 30
4600 Wels
Austria
Event hotline: +43 664/99491882
(09:00 - 18:00)
e-mail: office@rbgroup.at
Contact
Impress
Privacy policy