EVA LYS VICTORIOUS IN FRONT OF PACKED STANDS – TATJANA MARIA BEGINS HER MISSION ON SUNDAY
Eva Lys was simply thrilled after a spirited performance. "I'm very happy that I was able to come through such a three-set match, especially on grass. This gives me exactly the confidence I've been looking for," said the 23-year-old after her 6–2, 4–6, 6–4 win over Croatia’s Ana Konjuh in the first round of qualifying at the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt (running through June 28).
Lys is clearly enjoying her debut at the historic Kurpark and is becoming increasingly comfortable on grass. "It’s an incredibly beautiful tournament, very special. I feel great and have trained well here over the past few days," reported the Australian Open round-of-16 participant, who also praised the great atmosphere in front of the packed stands. Nastasja Schunk, on the other hand, was defeated 4–6, 5–7 by left-hander Olga Danilovic from Serbia, despite showing strong phases during the match.
Maria and Grass: “I know I can achieve a lot”
On Sunday, in the second match after 11:00 a.m. (on Match Court 1), world No. 62 Eva Lys will face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. The winner of this encounter will earn a spot in the main draw of the WTA 500 event, which boasts a prize pool of $1.1 million and features five Top 10 players – the strongest player field yet in the tournament’s five-year history, right on time for its small anniversary.
A special highlight on Sunday (not before 4:00 p.m.) will be the first appearance of the newly crowned “Queen of Queen’s” on the Spielbank Bad Homburg Centre Court: Wildcard recipient Tatjana Maria will face Leylah Fernandez exactly one week after her surprise title win in London. Momentum may be on the side of Germany’s No. 1, who defeated the Canadian just two weeks ago at Queen’s Club.
“Every year, once the clay season ends, I look forward to the weeks on grass. I know that a lot is possible for me on this surface,” said 37-year-old Maria, the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist, about her “love” for the fast-paced courts.
Azarenka and Siniakova could further strengthen the main draw
On Sunday, the first Top 10 player to take to the court will be fifth seed Emma Navarro (USA), facing Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the second match after 11:30 a.m. on Centre Court. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula (USA) is the top seed at the most prestigious tournament in the week leading up to Wimbledon (June 30 – July 13). Other stars in the Kurpark include five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek from Poland and wildcard Naomi Osaka from Japan.
Meanwhile, on the second day of the tournament, high-profile players such as two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Czech player Katerina Siniakova, the 2023 Bad Homburg Open champion, are aiming to qualify for the main draw. Both were successful in their opening matches on Saturday.
