21.05.2010 19:23:28 | UniCredit Czech Open taking place in town of Prostejov has unequivocally been the best tennis event in the Czech Republic for quite a long time and it seems that its 17th year will be even better than the previous one. The head of the Czech Tennis Association, Mr. Ivo Kaderka, said the following words about the tournament: "It is a matter of heart for me. Many of my friends I am happy to see gather here, but it is not the only reason, at my very first step into tennis area in Prostejov I acquire the feeling that I am among people who are fond of Czech tennis, support it and are ready to do their best for it. Prostejov tennis Club is managed on a professional level and it is only understandable that the tournament reaches the highest quality. The only things that the organizers are not able to influence are the results of individual games. Of course, we would like Czech players to assert themselves more but it is not within efforts and powers. However, the organizers take great pains to prepare everything in a very festive mood and with gravity and in this they succeed perfectly."
The tournament will be played under the brand of UniCredit Bank for the fourth time because Zhivnostenska Banka that had been the titular partner of the event since 1998 is currently a part of this Italian financial institution. The past UniCredit Czech Open 2009 reached the highest level ever in the history of the tournament as it welcomed fifteen players from the TOP 100 of ATP ranking! “We’ve reached the ceiling, there is no way how to reach more on this level,” stated Miroslav Cernoshek together with the executive director of UniCredit Bank, Mr. Jirzi Kunert, who have been guarding the philosophy of the tournament for long, before the finals last year.
It seems that the event will be shining with stars again this year. Two time winner Radek Shtepanek should appear on the starting list again, the organizers are waiting with impatience how Tomas Berdych will do at Roland Garros – if he fails in France he is definitely invited to Prostejov. Thirteen players from the TOP 100 of ATP ranking applied for participation at UniCredit Czech Open, however, the final list of participants will be settled according to the results of the second grand-slam event of the season. Those who get promoted into the fourth round in Paris have no chance to take part in the Prostejov’s tournament and thus the fellings of the organizers are traditionally very mixed and contradictory – on one hand they support the top Czech players on the red clay in Paris, on the other hand they want them to appear at UniCredit Czech Open. The same applies to the Spanish player no. 34 of ATP ranking, Albert Monatnes, who could appear in Prostejov at the beginning of the week ... “If he advances to semi-finals in France he will probably clash with Nadal or Federer. His appearance in Prostejov is not out of question,” says Miroslav Czernoshek, managing director of TK Plus, the company that organizes the event together with Czech Tennis Association. The executive director of the tournament is Petra Pichalova Langrova for the twelfth time.
To make it complete – the defending champion is Jan Hajek, a high quality accompanying program is going to take place again. A wonderful tennis experience will be provided by the exhibition of former no. 1 of ATP, Ivan Lendl, who is going to clash with Jiri Novak at the central court of Agrofert Arena in Prostejov.
