HTC Blau-Weiß Krefeld ready for the start

Tennis Bundesliga
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HTC blue and white ready for the start

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The only 19-year-old Flavio Cobolli made great strides this year in the world rankings.
Photo: dpa / Felice Calabro ‘

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Krefeld The Krefeld tennis Bundesliga team will start the race on July 4th with a powerful squad. The club has been a member of the House of Lords for 50 years. A maximum of 500 spectators are currently allowed on the system. The entrance fees have been increased.

Thanks to the falling number of corona cases, those responsible and fans of the tennis Bundesliga club HTC Blau-Weiß Krefeld are looking forward to the Bundesliga season. And that is under a very special star at the Stadtwald-Klub. Because exactly 50 years ago the club secured a starting place in the qualification for the founding year of the league and is now the only one of the ten current clubs that still belong to the upper house of German tennis today.

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To crown the anniversary with the championship title would undoubtedly be the culmination. The contingent is intended to be powerful enough for that. Like every year and especially this year because of Corona, a lot depends on whether the top players are available.

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“We are extremely happy that we can hold the Bundesliga at all. Up until a few weeks ago that was not at all clear, ”said Chairman Olaf Stiller on Thursday at a press conference in the Mercure Hotel“ Krefelder Hof ”, where the team’s players live. There was a lot of discussion about whether it made sense to host the games: “It wasn’t easy due to the different conditions in the federal states,” said Stiller. Without a spectator, the season would have had to be canceled again.

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According to the current status, 500 spectators are allowed to fill the natural grandstands in the city forest. Since the previous main sponsor “Timberland Finance” has dropped out, the budget had to be cut by 25 percent. Therefore, the ex-club chairman Hajo Ploenes, who has taken over the position of team boss from Olaf Merkel, is happy that the players want to forego part of their fee: “At the ATP tournament in Munich, 67 players have all of them in the Bundesliga -Teams belong, written to the clubs that you have to try everything so that the Bundesliga can take place. At the same time they declared their willingness to forego payment. “

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But that alone cannot compensate for the loss of the main sponsor. Therefore, the HTC has to increase the entrance fees. Adults now pay 30 euros (members 20 euros) for the day ticket. Students and schoolchildren ten (six) euros. Children up to 14 have free entry. The season ticket for four home games costs 100 euros (members 70 euros). “It hurts ourselves, but we have to raise prices. Especially nowadays we couldn’t find a new main sponsor so quickly, ”explained Ploenes. If there is no audience limit until the first home game on July 18th, the HTC wants to lower the entrance fee again. However, only those who have recovered, who have been tested and who have been vaccinated are admitted.

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When putting together the squad, the blue-whites could almost build on the entire 2020 squad of ex-team boss Merkel. “It wasn’t terribly difficult to tie up with the team from last year. We were able to expand that a bit. The main faces have stayed, ”said Ploenes. Twelve Italians alone are part of the 18-man squad led by Stefano Travaglia. New from the country of the Azzuri is the 19-year-old right-handed Flavio Cobolli, whom Olaf Merkel discovered and signed at the Australian Open in 2020. This year he moved up from 850 to 379 in the world rankings. Newcomer Valle Dalla, who is out for a longer period of time due to an operation, will not be used.

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Since the blue-whites start with three away games, which is a novelty in the league, and with Großhesselohe (Munich), Kurhaus Aachen and Gladbacher HTC, Hajo Ploenes wants to do everything possible, with the best possible squad to be able to compete. Perhaps the dream of the anniversary title will come true.

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