The 17th Montpellier Women’s Open will be held from July 2 to 9 on the clay courts of ASCH Montpellier. This year, a high level with always the same ambition: to allow the public to come and see the future stars of tennis.
A very homogeneous line-up will compete for the title of the 17th Montpellier International Open. No less than 32 players from the international circuit will compete on the courts of Grabels from July 2 to 9. With one objective: to succeed the Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva, winner of the 2022 edition.
“We still have a very rich line-up which is improving from year to year, welcomes Serge Aygalenq, the tournament director. For the first time, we have 13 players located between 100th and 200th place in the world”, adds- he.
Pavlyuchenkova sera bien là
Among the headliners is a former Roland-Garros finalist: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian lost in the final during the 2021 edition of the French Open (6-1, 2-6, 6-4) against the Czech Barbora Krejčíková.
She made a resounding return to the circuit by reaching the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros last spring after an injury-plagued 2022 season. In Montpellier, the 115th in the world will try to confirm her return to grace and will be seeded number 4.
Facing her, Océane Dodin will be the highest ranked Frenchwoman. The 108th in the world, already winner of three ITF tournaments this season, hopes to win a fourth title in a tournament she already knows, since she was released in the quarter-finals in 2021 against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng (7-5 , 6-1).
Note that the Swiss Simona Waltert, 107th in the world, will be seeded number 1. An opponent whom Dodin beat on February 12 in the final of the Grenoble tournament (6-2, 7-5).
6000 spectators in 2022
Today, the tournament is one of the major sporting events to follow in the Métropole de Montpellier. Under the pines of Grabels, spectators can come and enjoy the spectacle offered by the players while enjoying the sound of the cicadas.
“This women’s tennis Open is part of the identity of the Montpellier Métropole, insists Christian Assaf, vice-president of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and delegate for sports policies. This tournament has found a solid place in women’s tennis. seven editions, that’s not nothing!”
Nearly 6,000 spectators came to see the matches during the 9 days of the 2022 tournament. This year, the organizers have decided to make this tournament a little more festive with three evenings organized on the sidelines of the competition. “This will allow people to stay out of matches. We want to combine conviviality and rest with the tennis spectacle”, concludes Serge Aygalenq.
A P1500 padel tournament organized in parallel
For the second consecutive year, a women’s P1500 padel tournament is organized at the same time as the final table of the Tennis Open. From July 7 to 9, the best French padel players will compete on the tracks of the ASCH Tennis Grabels.
“It’s a sport in very strong development. We are lucky to have been chosen by the French Tennis Federation to organize a P1500. There are only four in France, we are really delighted”, rejoices Serge Aygalenq .
The semi-finals and the final of this parallel tournament will take place on Sunday July 9, as the curtain goes up for the final of the Tennis Open, which will take place at 5 p.m.
