THE GRASS IS GREENER FOR 6 WEEKS! s'-Hertogenbosch, Stuttgart, & Nottingham

 

JUNE 6 - 12, 2022
ATP 250 STUTTGART, GERMANY
ATP 250 's-HERTOGENBOSCH, NETHERLANDS
WTA 250 NOTTINGHAM, GREAT BRITIAN
WTA 250 's-HERTOGENBOSCH, NETHERLANDS

The ATP's 2022 schedule this season includes 39 hardcourt, 12 clay events. And both tours host only a measly eight grass court tournaments during a packed six weeks on grass - which includes Wimbledon, June 27-July 10, 2022. 

So as we leave Roland Garros, congratulations to this year's 2022 Singles Champions - Rafa Nadal and Iga Swiatek, Double Champions Jean-Julien Rojer/Marcelos Arevalo and Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, and Mixed Doubles Champions Ena Shibahara/Wesley Koolhoff!

Boss Open ATP 250
Tennis Club Weissehof
Stuttgart, Germany
June 6 - 12, 2022

Just a 15 minute S-bahn ride from Stuttgart, Esslingen is a delightful town with some of the oldest half-timbered houses in Germany. Having more than 200 of these beautiful homes - above is Klein-Venedig a picturesque quarter of Esslingen with half-timbered homes and windmills dating back to the 15th century. The area is known as “Little Venice” due to its location near the confluence of three rivers, the Neckar, Rossneckar, and Wehrneckar. 

Surface: grass

Draw: Singles 28, Doubles 16

The tournament switched to grass from clay in 2015. According to the ATP site the first edition of the tournament was in 1898, although other sources give the date as 1916. The tourney awards the winner a Mercedes car in addition to the prize money. (It sounds like they are trying to keep up with Porsche for the women’s Stuttgart tournament.)

2021 Champion: Marin Cilic (defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime)

Seeds (in order of seeding): Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Hubert Hurkacz, Denis Shapovalov, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Lorenzo Sonego, Alexander Bublik, Ugo Humbert

Other notables include Marton Fucsovics, Nick Kyrgios, Andy Murray and Lorenzo Musetti

Wildcards: German player Jan-Lennard Struff, plus Stefanos Tsitsipas and Feliciano Lopez

Withdrawals include: Lloyd Harris, Sebastian Korda, Reilly Opelka, Holger Rune

SINGLES DRAW

DOUBLES DRAW

OOP

Libema Open ATP 250
Autotron Rosmalen
‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
June 6 - 12, 2022

St. John's Cathedral 
The Catholic Cathedral Church of St. John (Sint-Janskathedraal) of 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, it stands as the height of Gothic architecture in the romanesque style, with construction thought to have started in 1220 and finished in 1340 and still stands in the same spot as built.

Surface: Grass

Draw: Singles 28, Doubles 16

The tourney was founded 32 years ago, and was not held in 2020 or 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

2019 Champion: Adrian Mannarino, winning his first title after 6 finals. (defeated Jordan Thompson)

French players have done well at this tourney in recent years – Nicolas Mahut (2013, ’15, ’16), Richard Gasquet in 2018 and Mannarino in 2019.

Seeds (in order of seeding): Daniil Medvedev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Karen Khachanov, Botic van de Zandschulp, Tommy Paul, Jenson Brooksby

In 2000 St. John's was designated as a so-called ‘Kanjermonument’ (whopper-monument, loosely translated), the label making it easier to receive financial support from the Dutch government. During the restoration 25 new angel statues were created by sculptor Ton Mooy - with a twist, the last angel in the series holds a mobile phone, wearing jeans - “the phone has just one button ... it dials directly to God" per the sculptor.

Other notables include: Ilya Ivashka, Mackenzie McDonald, Adrian Mannarino (defending champ), Emil Ruusuvuori

Wildcards: Dutch players Jesper De Jong, Robin Haase, Tim Van Rijthoven

Withdrawals include: Marin Cilic, David Goffin

SINGLES DRAW

DOUBLES DRAW

OOP

Libema Open WTA 250
Autotron Rosmalen
‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
June 6 - 12, 2022

Ultra modern Het Paleiskwartier (The Palace Quarter) in Den Bosch - located on the west side of Central Station

Surface: grass

Draw: Singles 32, Doubles 16

There are several Russian players taking part, and the tournament issued a statement explaining their decision to allow Russian and Belarussian players to participate “in their personal capacity, under a neutral flag.”

2019 Champion: Alison Riske (defeated Kiki Bertens) - as for the men, the tournament was not held in 2020 or 2021 because of the Covid pandemic.

Seeds (in order of seeding): Aryna Sabalenka, Belinda Bencic, Elena Rybakina, Tamara Zidansek, Liudmila Samsonova, Veronika Kudermetova, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Elise Mertens

Designated Historical Landmark district - Bolwoningen 'Ball Houses'

Other notables include: Anhelina Kalinina, Shelby Rogers, Alison Van Uytvank

Wildcards: Dutch player Suzan Lamens, plus Arianne Hartono, Leolia Jeanjean

Protected rankings : Kateryna Baindl, Kirsten Flipkens, Daria Saville

Withdrawals included: Marie Bouzkova, Danielle Collins, Daria Kasatkina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

WTA WEBPAGE DRAWS & OOP

Rothesay Open WTA 250
Nottingham Tennis Centre
Nottingham, Great Britain
June 6 - 12, 2022

City of Caves is a visitor attraction in Nottingham based on a network of caves, carved out of sandstone that have been variously used over the years as a tannery & public house cellars - listed as a scheduled monument by Historic England. Drury Hill being the medieval street under which they were formerly located until it was demolished - the newer City of Caves name refers to the fact that the city of Nottingham has hundreds of man-made caves, which have been in use for over a thousand years. Nottingham was described as Tigguo Cobauc in Old Brythonic meaning Place of Caves by the Welsh Bishop of Sherborne Asser in his The Life of King Alfred (893)

Surface: Grass

Draws: Singles 32, Doubles 16

This is the 14th edition of the tournament.

2021 Champion: Johanna Konta (defeated Zhang Shuai)

Seeds (in order of seeding): Maria Sakkari, Emma Raducanu, Camila Giorgi, Zhang Shuai, Ajla Tomljanovic, Alison Riske, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Magda Linette

Wildcards: Jodie Burrage, Sonay Kartal, Emma Raducanu, Maria Sakkari

Protected ranking: Tatjana Maria

Withdrawals: Not unexpected that there were many withdrawals the week following a major. They included Cirstea, Cornet, Jabeur, Kenin and Pegula. This was partially offset by a couple high-profile wildcards in Raducanu and Sakkari.

WTA WEBSITE DRAWS & OOP

Cheerio, Bedankt, Danke Shirley, on your game as usual!