There are hundreds of ITN tournaments all over Austria, dozens of other events at the ÖTV level, but only a…
There are hundreds of ITN tournaments all over Austria, dozens of other events at the ÖTV level, but only one event that completely changes the life of a hobby tennis player for at least a few weeks. If you are suddenly celebrated in front of 6000 spectators on a full centre court for eight won match tie breaks, if you are suddenly in the celebrity stronghold Kitzbühel with the VIP’s on “You & You”, if you are suddenly recognized and addressed in restaurants of the chamois city and you are known to the Austrian tennis scene with one blow, then you have probably won Austria’s biggest tennis show event the Peugeot-Tie-Break-Shoot-Out. Oh, and proud owner of a brand-new car is there too. These are not empty theses, but hard facts! From Kitzbühel reported for hobbytennistour.at C.L
Alexander Zverev was the winner of this year’s BMW Open in Munich and kidnapped another brand new car, Roger Federer drove the winning car from the centre court at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, it is common practice at many ATP tournaments that the big champion drives home in a car. The Generali Open in Kitzbühel is different. At Austria’s largest clay court tennis tournament, a hobby tennis player can look forward to a new vehicle. For the second time since its premiere last year, the Generali Open, in collaboration with the French car manufacturer and sponsor Peugeot, tennis fans and recreational players, offers a unique and truly fantastic opportunity to win a Peugeot at a show event. This time it will be a Peugeot 2008 SUV GT Line, which the big winner of the handicap tournament will take home. Last year at the premiere, a young Upper Austrian managed the big coup. Thomas Glasner from Summerau wrote his own personal tennis fairy tale for one week, and will be there again this year.
Thomas Glasner will probably never forget August 5, 2017. It was a sunny Saturday, the final day at the Generali Open 2017 in Kitzbühel, and the big holiday in the career of the 26-year-old Upper Austrian. The moderator duo Stefan Steinacher and Lukas Schweighofer announced in the stadium that they would hand over the keys for their winning car and applause from the stands in front of a full house. This unique atmosphere, which a hobby tennis player can only experience once in his entire career, was the deserved reward for a very strong performance during the Peugeot Tie Break Shootout. Glasner was perhaps not the best player in the tableau, which was full to bursting with over 200 participants, but certainly the coolest. The way he defended match points against himself in the semi-finals on the KTC grounds at Cape Court, and then took the last step in the final, was worthy of all honours.
The first Peugeot Tie Break Shootout winner was then also received in his home parish. And not in the usual style, but just as only Olympic champions and world champions are received in the crazy Austrian ski sport. With a carriage waiting for the surprised winner at the entrance to the village, we went through Summerau on a large lap of honour. “A very emotional thing,” as Glasner later told us. A huge party followed for the most famous son of the community, and rounded off the sensational success of the 26-year-old more than worthy.
It is therefore worthwhile to become Thomas Glasner’s successor as Peugeot Tie Break Shoot Out winner. Register now until July 16th on the website of the Generali Open, secure your participation in the country’s biggest tennis show event, a T-shirt from “In Love with Tennis” and maybe even the brand new car, a PEUGEOT 2008 SUV GT LINE.