"You can see a happy, satisfied tournament director her". With these words tournament director Ralf Weber greeted the journalists on Thursday afternoon and therefore brought his interim balance statement of the 25th GERRY WEBER OPEN to the point: "We are experiencing a thrilling jubilee party in a wonderfull, relaxed atmosphere, Weber said, because "everything looks es though it's going to be a new record number of around 115,000 spectators."
Up until Wednesday evening Germany's high-classiest tennis event was counting 70,000 spectators already, on the first weekend alone there were 334,100 watching the two-day event >schauinsland-reisen Champions Trophy< and the Open Day. "This concept has worked so well that we will continue it next year. The mixture of past and present champions is fun for the audience."
In this context Ralf Weber pointed out towards the first social highlight of the tournament, the anniversary party celebrating 25 years GERRY WEBER OPEN: "We received vast recognition from international tournament-tennis personalities, from ATP-boss Chris Kermode or Wimbledon-Chairman Philipp Brook. Very touching for me were the words by Michael Stich, who thanked us for the humanity and warmth - and indeed in the name of a whole generation of players, who have played her over the years."
Tommy Haas is also one of the generation of big German tennis players. Therefore the tournament director stated the exeptional gainings of the 39 year-old man from Hamburg, earned at the GERRY WEBER OPEN: "This is why we have awarded him the `Excellence Award´, the first such one in the history of the tournament, to thus honour him. I wish him and his family alle the best for the future. And him personally lots of success for his work as tournament director in Indian Wells."
Ralf Weber also honoured record-champion Roger Federer, who is serving for the 15th time at the GERRY WEBER STADION, as "one of the most impressing personalities" of the tournaments history: "With him we develloped an uptil then unique model in world tennis, a lifetime contract."
The tournament director described the 20 year-old Alexander Zverev from Hamburg as "a piece of good luck for the tournament and German tennis": "He has got the charisma and the emotionality to electrify the fans. And the Gerry Weber Open is one of his favourite tournaments, he feels very, very good here, good with his whole family. And with his brother Mischa, who is the German No. 2 at the moment."
In the coming weeks, already, there will be a contract as a solution for the next tournament years, Ralf Weber announced: "There are declarations from both sides, but talks must still be held. Sascha is fit to be the future face of the tournament." But they are not talking about a >Lifetime Contract<,Weber said: "You have to be scarce with them."
At his interim balance statement the tournament director also talked about the longterm, close partnership with ZDF and Eurosport: "We are a mark in national terms. As the only tournament, that can be seen on public TV. Other than that Eurosport does a great job with their transmitting. Onlone on Monday there were nine hours of live coverage from Halle to be seen."
The exploitation of the tournament area was "opitimal" Weber said : "The setup is great. We can only alter and better details." Furthermore the tournament direktor announced that the prize money at the GERRY WEBER OPEN will amount to nearly two million Euros next year, according to the agreement, by which the amount rises by eight percent every year.
