Title win for Elena-Gabriela Ruse

Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse won the Hamburg European Open. In an exciting final, the 23-year-old Ruse challenged Hamburg’s tournament ambassador Andrea Petkovic with 7:6 (8:6), 6:4, winning the first title of her career on the WTA Tour. But also for Petkovic, the week at Rothenbaum was a great success, as the 33-year-old from Darmstadt finally reached again a final on the WTA Tour for the first time since 2015. Around 1000 spectators celebrated the two finalists with minutes of applause after the 2:12 hour match.

For Ruse, this tournament victory may be a breakthrough in her career. A week ago she came to the Hanseatic city as number 154 in the world and started in qualifying. Seven victories later, she is listed at 133 on Monday. “I am incredibly happy about this title”, she said at the award ceremony with tears in her eyes, “I felt very, very comfortable here on the facility from day one.”

Even the defeated woman struggled with tears and a limping voice. But not out of disappointment, but also out of joy and emotion. “Thanks to my team, you’ve had a lot to go through with me in the last few months”, said Petkovic, who had not reached a final since her success in Antwerp in 2015. “Hamburg is really the most beautiful city in the world”, she happily added: “I will always carry this week as a very special memory in my heart.”

For the first time since 2002, the women were again able to win prize money and world ranking points at the traditional venue in the Harvestehude district. The tournament director Sandra Reichel and her father Peter Michael Reichel made it possible. “It has been very emotional for all of us in the last few days”, said Sandra Reichel and thanked the sponsors, Alexander Otto, who had decisively supported the stadium renovation a year ago, and the City of Hamburg. “As a sports city of Hamburg, we remain ambitious when it comes to women’s tennis at Rothenbaum”, promised Hamburg’s State Councillor for Sport Christoph Holstein. If those aren’t good prospects after the successful premiere...