The Thiem Academy Burgenland Open, a key event on the ITF World Tennis Juniors Tour, recently concluded it’s first week of competition in Oberpullendorf, Austria. The tournament, which began with 111 players representing 21 nations, showcased emerging talent and culminated in a home-contry victory for Jan Hemetzberger [[1]].The event highlights the growing prominence of the Thiem Academy’s role in developing the next generation of tennis stars and serves as a qualifier for higher-level junior tournaments.
An Austrian player celebrated his second ITF U18 title at his training base in Oberpullendorf.
The first part of the Thiem Academy Burgenland Open powered by Wilson at Sporthotel Kurz in Oberpullendorf has concluded. The ITF J30 tournament on the ITF World Tennis Juniors Tour brought international youth tennis to Burgenland, culminating in a victory for Jan Hemetzberger, a player from the host academy, who received the winner’s trophy from Grand Slam champion Dominic Thiem. A total of 111 players from 21 nations competed for singles and doubles titles.
The first week of the tournament saw particularly strong results for the local tennis hopefuls from Burgenland. Hemetzberger lived up to his seeding as number two in the boys’ singles competition, reaching the final thanks to a hard-fought 4:6, 6:4, 6:4 victory in the semifinals against sixth-seeded Norwegian Olav Berg. In the final, the BTV ace faced Romania’s Laurentiu Albert Cristian Badea, who had defeated Steiermark’s Sebastian Pock in the semifinals, and dominated with a clear 6:1, 6:3 win. He paired with academy teammate Marco Hofer in doubles, finishing second after falling to the top-seeded Croatian Hrvoje Jutresa and Slovenian Lasse Zajc Gajsek 6:4, 6:3.
In the girls’ singles competition, Lea Haider-Maurer secured three wins before her run was halted in the semifinals by eventual champion Ana Chindris (Romania) 4:6, 0:6. “The win over Polish player Marie Charlotte Monnier is highly commendable, as she participated in the Top Eight Masters in the U16 category last year,” said Haider-Maurer, pleased with her first tournament week since November. Chindris also won the final against Emilia Henningsen (Denmark) in straight sets, 6:3, 6:2. In the doubles event, Leonie Schauer and Monnier reached the final, but were defeated by fourth-seeded Czechs Anna Jancaríková and Nela Padrnosová 4:6, 2:6.
A highlight of the final day was a visit from Thiem, who personally congratulated the winners alongside Burgenland’s Sports Councilor Heinrich Dorner. Qualification for the second tournament week began immediately afterward, featuring an ITF J60 event.
