by More than fifty tennis players on stage, a main draw made up entirely of the Top 100, US$715,000 in prizes and the goal of breaking the record of 30,000 attendees that was won in 2020. The Córdoba Open, the only sporting event to beat the pandemic in our province, the countdown of its fifth consecutive edition has already begun at the Polo del Kempes, which will be between February 4 and 12.
“It is a solid staging, which is consolidated and continues to grow, beyond the fact that there are always things to improve,” says Mariano Ink, director of the company ‘Torneos’, about the event that opens the South American tour of the ATP (Association of Professional Tennis Players) on brick dust.
“The Córdoba Open is already a classic. Not having discontinued in the pandemic, beyond the restrictions of the case, made the level of confidence in the product grow, ”says the organizer.
The presence of its last three winners (the Spanish Albert Ramos, the Argentine Juan Manuel Cerúndolo and the Chilean Christian Garín), of the number one national tennis players in singles and doubles (Diego Schwartzman and Máximo González), and of three of the seven world champions that our country has (Guido Pella, Federico Delbonis and Renzo Olivo), are some of the great attractions that the competition presents.
On February 4 and 5 the qualy will be played, with free admission.
“The level is super strong. This year we have a very competitive and very even team, with great exponents on slow surfaces; and with players like the Italian Fabio Fognini and the French Corentin Moutet, who are very fun to watch”, says Ink.
The participation of the five members of the Argentine Davis Cup team that next weekend will play the qualifiers in Finland against the local representative: “Machi” González, Francisco Cerúndolo, Andrés Molteni, Facundo Bagnis and the rookie from Belville Pedro Cachín. “They are going to be here because they love the Córdoba Open. They will arrive fine. It is gratifying that they come after playing such a demanding series and in very different conditions, on the hard surface and indoors”, he adds.
LOCAL CREDIT. Pedro Cachín from Cordoba will meet at the Kempes after making his debut with the Argentine Davis Cup team. /// PHOTO: CEDOC PROFILE
dollars and elections
“It is not easy to organize this type of event, since in Argentina the issue of the dollar is a constant struggle,” acknowledges Ink. “Beyond the national situation, the Córdoba Open has managed to grow and that represents an important achievement,” he points out.
“We are meeting expectations. ‘Torneos y Competencias’ made a strong bet by associating with ‘Octagon’, which owns the date, and signed a ten-year contract with an option for another decade. Today the contest is already a classic, it is televised for the whole world and it is an asset that our company has”, highlights the businessman.
“The ATP is very satisfied with the tournament. Their reports have been excellent in terms of organization, level of play and behavior of the public. We have obtained high grades and that represents a great accolade”, emphasizes Ink, who served as an international referee and director of the National School of Referees, and is also the manager of various tennis figures, such as Schwartzman from Buenos Aires and Nadia Podoroska from Rosario.
The director of ‘Tournaments’ also referred to the impact that the election year, with the possibility of an eventual change of political sign in the provincial government, may have on the future of the Córdoba Open.
“It is not my place to talk about politics, but I believe that this does not have to affect. The province and the city have taken this tournament as their own and help us a lot. Without them, it would not be possible. The event is already installed in the people and ideally it would always have government support. We hope things don’t change… I think they won’t change”.
DOUBLE CHAMPION. González and Molteni, who will also represent Argentina against Finland, will defend their title at the Córdoba Open. /// PHOTO: CEDOC PROFILE
Nine days of pure tennis
Federico Delbonis and Renzo Olivo, who were part of the Argentine team that won the 2016 Davis Cup and are located respectively in the 136th and 183rd places in the ATP ranking, will be the prominent names of the first weekend at the Córdoba Open 2023. that will start with the dispute of the quality. In that instance, the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo (102nd), runner-up last year at Kempes, will also compete.
For the main singles draw, which will start on Monday, February 6, the organization has already awarded these players: Diego Schwartzman (25th), Francisco Cerúndolo (30th), Albert Ramos Viñolas (38th), Sebastián Báez (41st ) ), Corentin Moutet (51st), Fabio Fognini (57th), Pedro Martínez (58th), Pedro Cachín (59th), Jaume Munar (62nd), Daniel Galán (68th), Thiago Monteiro (69th ), Laslo Djere (70th), Bernabé Zapata Miralles (71st), Roberto Carballes Baena (75th), Federico Coria (76th), Tomás Etcheverry (80th), Dusan Lajovic (81st), Joao Sousa (82nd ° ), Cristian Garín (87 °), Facundo Bagnis (90 °), Marco Cecchinato (93 °). Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (143rd) and Guido Pella (75th, ranking protected by injury) were invited.
In the doubles competition, the presence of current champions Máximo González and Andrés Molteni stands out. Another outstanding national duo is Pedro Cachín-Francisco Cerúndolo. Kazakhs Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovésov are also among the favourites.
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