Now it's getting serious! The final weekend of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz starts today with the matches in the round of the last eight players. Up to this point, almost all of the top favourites have held their own - the top five players have all reached the quarter-finals! But the tests are getting tougher and tougher.
Yelena Ostapenko
It was already past midnight when Jelena Ostapenko, the number one of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz, crowned a fascinating comeback with a primal scream. The Latvian was already trailing 3:6, 1:4 in a match against Clara Tauson that was hard to beat in terms of drama and turned the tables once again. In the third set, Ostapenko also had to fend off a match point, before she held the upper hand by a wafer-thin margin of 9:7 in the tie-break. With her 51st winner, the tournament's top player, who never gave up at any point, smashed her way into the quarter-finals - what an energetic performance!
"I'm so proud of myself, I really gave it my all. The changeover from Australia was really difficult, but I'm just happy how I fought and that I somehow won the match," said Ostapenko, before disappearing to the hotel and recovering quickly. A very rested Jordie Burrage is waiting for her today - and the Australian Open doubles finalist will have to watch out for her. After all, it has almost become a tradition at this tournament in recent years for qualifiers to really get going. The strong-serving British number two has already notched up four wins this week. She is serving brilliantly and is playing one of the greatest matches of her career today. The 24-year-old Londoner has never reached the quarter-finals of a WTA 500 tournament before. Here we go again, the next "It all begins in Linz" story!
The clash between Elise Mertens and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova promises to be one of today's absolute highlights. The latter attracted attention this week with two impressive victories against Martina Trevisan (Italy) and Katie Boulter (Great Britain) and impressed above all with her strong serve. She will also need it today against Elise Mertens. The best doubles player in the world showed yesterday that she is also one of the world's best singles players. With her varied baseline game and high return quality, she unmistakably put the Italian Lucia Bronzetti in her place. And the jet lag after the long journey from Australia? There was no sign of that either. Mertens looked as athletic and agile as ever, played well against Lucia Bronzetti and reached the quarter-finals, just like on her last visit to Linz. Back then, in autumn 2020, she even made it to the final. To repeat this success, she will certainly need the necessary freshness today. All three matches against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova so far have gone the full distance. So you'd better plan a little more time!
Elise Mertens
Donna Vekic
Donna Vekic certainly couldn't complain about a lack of support in her opening match yesterday. The 27-year-old has always been a favourite with the crowd in Linz. Now her Players Box was also full. Her family had travelled from Croatia to support her and are visibly impressed by "Donna's dominance". "My parents often go skiing in Austria and now they're here too. I've been here for a few days now and I'm happy that I've finally been able to play and win," summarised Vekic. The Croatian impressed against Dayana Yastremska with a very well-balanced performance and always had a smile on her face because she was so happy to play. She played very solidly, made far fewer mistakes than her opponent and utilised her opportunities very efficiently - the result (6:1, 6:1) was correspondingly clear. Now Vekic wants to qualify for the semi-finals of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz for the first time against Clara Burel. The Frenchwoman had to go through three sets against Katerina Siniakova to prevail and reach the quarter-finals in Linz for the first time. The 22-year-old has consistently worked her way up the rankings in recent years and is becoming more and more of a favourite. At the Australian Open, she surprisingly won against Jessica Pegula from the USA and shone with her outstanding return. Incidentally, the last Frenchwoman to win the tournament in Linz was Amelie Mauresmo exactly 20 years ago - it's about time again...
Clara Burel
Ekaterina Alexandrova has almost become a fixture at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz - in the most positive sense of the word! The 2018 finalist, who is at home in Prague, is aiming for her fourth semi-final on the Danube today. And that's not just because of the feel-good atmosphere in Upper Austria, which she always enjoys, but also because of the special conditions at the Design Centre: "Apart from the great atmosphere, the balls and the conditions also suit me very well. It's not super fast, but not super slow either. I also prefer playing indoors. Maybe that's because I generally train a lot indoors," said Alexandrova ahead of her quarter-final against her opponent Anastasia Potapova, who is seven years younger and also feels almost at home in Linz. She has built up a special relationship with the provincial capital thanks to her tournament victory last year. You can tell that this year too. However, after a commanding opening victory, she needed a real show of strength yesterday to turn her round of 16 match against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who had already reached the semi-finals in the doubles competition. She even fended off two match points in a dramatic tie-break in the second set. It was Potapova's seventh win in a row in Linz - she is still unbeaten at the Design Centre!
After her victory, she first and foremost paid tribute to her opponent "I'm speechless. It was an incredible match! If Elisabetta keeps playing like this, we'll see her in the final of the Australian Open next year. I'm glad I was able to win the match today."
But it remains to be seen how much energy this success has taken out of her. Alexandrova will go into the duel against her compatriot rested and refreshed.
We promise, dear tennis fans: Today is going to be really dramatic! The Upper Austria Ladies Linz is entering the home straight!
Anastasia Potapova
Age: 28
Born in: Leuven, Belgium
World ranking position: 26
Greatest success: Four Grand Slam titles in doubles
Age: 32
Born in: Samara, Russia
World ranking position: 42
Greatest success: French Open final (2021)
POTAPOVA
vs.
COCCIARETTO
As part of the "Sport & Fun with the Tennis Stars" series of events, kindergarten children from Linz were invited to the world-class women's tennis tournament yesterday. The initiative is supported above all by the Deputy Mayor of the City of Linz, Karin Hörzing. The children enjoyed a varied morning of sport with creative games and each received a "goodie bag" and a medal. At the end, all the children were given a healthy snack - a day to remember!
The Upper Austria Ladies Linz has been unimaginable without Ekaterina Alexandrova in recent years. She reached the final in 2018 and then the semi-finals twice more. This year, she is making her seventh appearance in the Upper Austrian capital and got the tournament off to a successful start with a victory over Jule Niemeier in the round of 16. Afterwards, she took the time for a detailed declaration of love for the women's tennis classic in Linz.
"I love the city, I love the place, everything about it - the audience, the people, the atmosphere here, it's so cosy and comfortable. I enjoy my time here every single year, and I'm looking forward to coming back again next year."
Sustainable, efficient and profitable - the Austrian company Fresh Energy stands for change in energy production. And because this fits in so well with our Green Event, the company is the official sustainability partner of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. During the tournament week, you, dear visitors, can find out more about the company and its range of photovoltaic systems at the Green Court.
There was a lot going on! At yesterday's Family Day organised by Oberösterreichische Versicherung, it wasn't just mascot "Ele" that brought a great atmosphere to the hall. Competitions and lots of activities on the Green Court also delighted young and old alike!
A special
Tour
Yesterday's OÖ Versicherung Expertinnen Spezial Talk was a complete success! The speakers focussed on the topic of success and looked at the downsides as well as the advantages. Each woman contributed her own personal experiences. This resulted in a valuable exchange for the speakers, but also for all participants!
Today is "Linz AG Day" at the Design Centre! The multi-utility provider for energy supply, public transport and municipal services in the region is a long-standing partner of our tournament and will be in the spotlight on quarter-final day at Upper Austria Ladies Linz.
It was a sweet surprise! At the Radio OÖ Schokocorner presented by Wenschitz yesterday, spectators in the stands of the centre court were given small chocolates to taste and could win chocolates in the Public Village.
Anyone watching Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at work this week will be reminded of the women's tournament in Linz in 2015. The then 24-year-old "Pavly" only dropped a single set on the way to her eighth title on the tour in the TipsArena. The memories have not yet faded, even though they date back more than eight years.
"It's been a long time since I last won here. Of course I try to think about it and tell myself that it's possible to go far here. But ultimately it's a new tournament and even if it's a cliché, I try to think from match to match," said Pavlyuchenkova, who was part of one of the best matches of the tournament so far in the round of 16 against Katie Boulter: "I'm very happy with the way I served, especially under pressure. It was a very high-class match against Katie and I'm glad that I won it. It was also important that I stayed very calm. I've also improved a lot mentally and was very patient in the match." It can go on like this!
Take a look behind the scenes of a world-class tennis tournament! This was possible for guests of Business Upper Austria on Thursday: presenter Ullrich Jelinek guided the visitors through the rooms and corridors that normally remain hidden to fans. The Players Lounge, the press office and other important places were not left out! And once again it became clear that there is much more behind the scenes than can be seen on the pitch.
It is the "place to be" during the tournament week: the Design Centre Linz offers the perfect location for the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. And without the Design Centre team, many things would not be possible. Thank you for your support!
A week ago, she was still in the Australian Open semi-finals. After that, she travelled straight from Melbourne to Linz to serve at the Design Centre. Yesterday, the 23-year-old's battery was empty. She was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz against Donna Vekic.
After her defeat, the Ukrainian summarised: "I'm just tired from the last few weeks. I had no reserves left today, but I still gave it my all. Now I'm going to fly home and rest emotionally and physically. So the start of the year is over for me."
Are you ready for your next tennis outfit? Or are you and your tennis team looking for a team outfit for the summer season? Then take a look at the FILA stand in the public area. Here you will find everything your tennis heart desires!
Football meets tennis: a perfect match! Yesterday, athletes, officials and coaches from FC Blau-Weiß Linz visited Austria's largest women's sporting event.
Winter is far from over. And with it the best prospects for a varied leisure time. Action and exercise on and off the slopes. Cultural fun in cities and in the countryside, relaxation in one of the thermal spas and health hotels, savouring fine regional cuisine. And all with a dash of decelerated cosiness that is so typical of Upper Austria. Skiing and good things from Upper Austria's cuisine can be enjoyed at events such as the hut gourmet tour "Der Kasberg kocht" on 2 March or the nostalgic ski race on 23 March.
Collect points now, win and plan your trip with the Upperguide
Cool sustainability initiative! For every ace beaten, Oberösterreichische Versicherung covers the cost of a honeycomb for a young beekeeper.
Presented by
Live music in the Public Village (JackTheBusch)
Stay on top of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz with ORF Sport Plus! The broadcast times at a glance:
Friday, 2 February 2024
From 12.55 pm (ORF Sport Plus)
From 13.35 (ORF1)
Saturday, 3 February 2024
From 2.00 pm (ORF Sport Plus)
Sunday, 4 February 2024
From 2.00 pm (ORF Sport Plus)
The matches can also be streamed on the ORF TVthek. With just one click, you can be there live on centre court.
Would you like to find out more about the Upper Austria Ladies Linz and expand your knowledge of the tournament's top stars and young hopefuls? 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
Contact
Impress
Privacy policy