2016 Gerry Weber Open: First Day Impressions and Highlights – Tennis is more than just a sport

Written by: on 14th June 2016
2016 Gerry Weber Open: First Day Impressions and Highlights – Tennis is more than just a sport  |
By Andy Fitzell
Herzlich Willkommen to the 2016 Gerry Weber Open in Halle (Westfalen), Germany!
After nearly a month of coaching on the road in Asia, it feels great to be back in Deutschland (where I now reside) once again.  This week, I’m on a special Holiday break with my fiancé Lioba (Lio) Moers.  “Special” because this will be our first professional tournament together and her very first professional tennis experience ever!  It’s also nice to take off my coaching hat for a bit, slap on some sunscreen, and just enjoy some amazing tennis with my sweetheart.  Wait, did I mention Roger Federer will be playing here this week?  Yes!!!!!
We arrived to the quaint village town of Halle via car from our hometown of Dusseldorf in about 90 min thanks to my big serving like aggressive driving skills on the Autobahn.  Even though it was raining a little I was able to post a new personal best of 194 km/h (about 120 mph) J.
As we entered the tournament gates we didn’t know what to expect because of the weather conditions:  Rain, rain and more rain.  Our worries were soon put to rest when we quickly found ourselves standing inside the stunning Gerry Weber stadium court equipped with a beautiful retractable roof to keep the elements out if need be.  The 11,500 seat stadium can close its roof in 90 seconds!  We were both in awe of this cathedral like building enclosing a seemingly perfect grass court ready for play.
   
First match on was Kei Nishikori vs Lucas Pouille.  Lio’s first pro match ever!  In her words: “So close to the players!  So fast! Perfect looking strokes!  The atmosphere in the stadium was so, so…I’m speechless!”  Watch first pro match ever…Check.  Definitely a highlight on day 1.
 
After the match, we went outside to explore what else the Gerry Weber Open had to offer.  We made our way around stadium court to find all kinds of fun activities for everyone.  There were shopping tents from all the major tennis brands, a variety of food choices, bungee jumping, autograph signings, a climbing wall, games for prizes and plenty of mmmmm German Beer.  And best of all, more beautifully manicured grass tennis courts!
 
Another highlight of the day was the arrival of the “GOAT” and 8-Time Gerry Weber Open Champion Roger Federer!  We caught a glimpse of the master in the interview room and we look forward to watching him play soon!
We spent the rest of our day watching some awesome tennis together.  David Goffin, Borna Coric, Benjamin Becker, Ernests Gulbis, Andreas Seppi and David Ferrer were all in action on the grass!

We love tennis!  It brought us together.  We are excited for the week here in Halle and to share some of our Gerry Weber Open adventures with you.  As my late friend and mentor Vic Braden used to say: “Tennis is more than just a sport.”

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