Main Draw: Big Names Collide in Opening Round
23.11.25
Early on Sunday afternoon, the main draw was made, and several match-ups immediately caught the eye: Sofia Costoulas (WTA 152), the top-seeded Belgian from the Kim Clijsters Academy, will face Noma Noha Akugue (WTA 312), the powerful German with Nigerian roots. A true “next-gen clash” that many are already calling the first-round match to watch. Costoulas recently reached the semi-finals at the WTA 125 in Rovereto, while the German made the quarter-finals.
Silvia Ambrosio (WTA 205), the tournament’s No. 2 seed and a player for TC Rungg, will take on Italy’s rising talent Vittoria Paganetti. Local Gröden hope Laura Mair (22), awarded a wild card by TC Urtijei, will step into the main draw on Tuesday, just like the two top seeds. She will face a qualifier.
Several treats await in the second round of qualifying on Monday morning:
Weronika Falkowska, last year’s champion
Urszula Radwańska (34), once ranked WTA No. 29
Ana Konjuh (27), former world No. 20
From the afternoon onwards, the first round of the main draw will also begin in Runggaditsch. Another highlight from a South Tyrolean perspective comes in the early evening: sisters Julia and Lisa Peer will play doubles against young Urtijei player Greta Degli Angeli, who teams up with Micol Salvadori.
While many of the stars – including Susan Bandecchi and Britain’s Mimi Xu – had already made their presence felt in the practice zone on the tournament’s opening day, the organising team led by Martina Moser was working at full throttle. Flawless court operations, smooth spectator management and even free Weißwürste for everyone ensured that the opening day offered much more than just tennis.
And the effort doesn’t end with the final rally: around midnight, for instance, Noma Noha Akugue needs to be picked up from Innsbruck Airport. That’s everyday tournament life in Gröden – organised with heart and passion, and boasting a high-class sporting line-up.
