Big Party for the 25th Anniversary at GERRY WEBER OPEN

It was a atmospheric, celebratory, exhilarated party evening, but overall it was a moment to look back in pride at the history of the GERRY WEBER OPEN: At the anniversary party for the tournaments 25th jubilee at the GERRY WEBER EVENT CENTER the tournaments founder and its initiators were honoured yesterday on Saturday, June 17th for their vast organization. "This tournament is embossed by the charisma and dynamic way of its creators. We are proud that the GERRY WEBER OPEN are part of the ATP-Family. This here in Halle is an oasis of tennis", the ATP-boss Chris Kermode said in front of 1.000 guests. Kermode awarded tournament director Ralf Weber the "Heritage Award“ of the players organization and wished the organizers "all the best and good luck for many new ideas in the following 25 years.“
 
Tournament director Ralf Weber thankt all those in his speech,"that worked so hard on this project with so much enthusiasm and elation": It has been an unbelievable time, these last 24 years." The more than 2.5 million visitors are proof for the success-story of the GERRY WEBER OPEN: "These numbers aren't fake." The tournament boss reminded of the numourous amount of prizes for Germany's high-class tournament, alone the ATP awarded GERRY WEBER OPEN 12 awards, amoung them the worlds-best tournament in 2002. Weber praised the close, trusting partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, he also mentioned the long-lasting TV-cooperation, for example with the ZDF and Eurosport: "Today the tournament is seen in 140 countries all over the world. This is quite sensational."
 
The Chairman of the  All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, Phil Brook, congratulated the GERRY WEBER OPEN on its "wonderful development" in the last two and a half decades. "Lawn tennis, but of course German tennis can be glad to have such a wonderful event", Brook said. The Wimbledon-boss talked of a "close partnership" from the beginning of the tournament days in HalleWestfalen and also pointed towards the two greenkeepers from the Thorn-family, father Jim, who worked in Wimbledon and looked over the grass at the beginning of the tournament in HalleWestfalen  - and his son Phil, today in charge of the tennis-green. "Up until today Wimbledon and the Gerry Weber Open are still in exchange. The Thorns are best proof of this strong cooperation", Brook said, applauded by his audience. .
 
With some moving words the German Wimbledon-winner Michael Stich thanked the pioneers of the tournament and its director Ralf Weber for their work in the last 24 years. "Without you German tennis wouln't be as it is. At this tournament the person is in main focus, you feel the love and warmth of everyone in charge, at all times. “And for another reason, the GERRY WEBER OPEN are something very special, Stich said, who was the first winner in HalleWestfalen: "You have here one of the greatest trophies of the tennis tour. Wimbledon is nothing compared to this."
 
Tennisstar Angelique Kerber had already said at the beginning of the party that the GERRY WEBER OPEN "are right at the top of the lists of tournaments in the world": "it can't get much better. The players love the tournament, they feel very confortable." Kerber had played at the >schauinsland-reisen Champions Trophy< in the afternoon. Sie is travelling to Birmingham to get in the mood for Wimbledon: "I'm going into the next couple of weeks with confidence." Honoury guests were both the finalists at the first tournament, the winner Henri Leconte (France) and finalist Andrei Medvedev (Ukraine). "I am proud to have been the first winner", Leconte said and on a lighter note, "today I feel as if its my own tournament." Medvedev said, the GERRY WEBER OPEN are one of the premium tournaments in world tennis: "You have to have been here to see all of it."
 
Initiator of the tournament, Gerhard Weber brought it down by saying: "We have always had courage. And when something had to be done better, we did it better." His partner Partner Udo Hardieck said:"Gerhard Weber and I have very different personalities. But that was good that way because our ideas added perfectly together." Musical highlight was Pop-Queen Kim Wilde: The Lady from England performed a mix of her biggest hits like "Kids in America“ and "Cambodia“ which got everybody quite in the swing of the party.