Wimbledon by the Baltic Sea: Grass Court Tennis Tournament | bettercities.net.de

Amateur grass tennis tournaments are almost non-existent in our area. The Golf Park Strelasund in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern aims to change that by planning a grass court tennis tournament.

It promises to be a great time on grass, a real treat for every tennis fan. Martin Pittner (36) is confident about that. The captain of the tennis major league team Blau-Weiß Stralsund plans to participate when the 1st Grass Tennis Open goes down at the Golf Park Strelasund in Kaschow this August.

The facility with two hotels and a modern wellness area is located in one of the most beautiful corners of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, between Stralsund and Greifswald. It's only a 45-minute drive from here to the Baltic Sea islands of Rügen and Usedom. The tournament, scheduled for August 11th, is currently a hot topic in the tennis scene. This double event will be the first competition ever in the Northeast to be held on natural grass.

Grass court tournaments for amateurs are scarce across Germany as well. The excitement is further increased by the recent Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon, where German player Angelique Kerber claimed victory. This adds to the local enthusiasm for the green surface.

'This type of surface is something special for tennis players. It holds so much tradition, but also because we barely have real grass courts here. We usually play on clay or carpet,' emphasizes Martin Pittner. 'Everyone wants to try what it feels like to play on grass,' confirms Dieter Bursche (68), president of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tennis Association, who also plans to take the court on Kaschow's grass.

'I think this tournament is fantastic because it is something extraordinary and brings attention to our sport,' says the man from the seaside resort of Warnemünde.

The idea for the Grass Tennis Open came from the head of the Golf Park Strelasund, Jörg Remer, along with some colleagues: 'We've had the grass courts for a while, but never really used or promoted them. A tennis enthusiast member convinced me that we should do something, and that's how the plan for this tournament came up,' the 40-year-old explains.

Kaschow has great potential for unique tennis tournaments - a place where the over 1,500 members mostly play golf. The natural grass courts here are the only two in all of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

These high-maintenance courts can be sustained only because the greenkeepers in Kaschow also look after the 36 golf courses. Maintaining the tennis fields happens concurrently.

The fact that the 1st Grass Tennis Open will be held in doubles is mainly due to two reasons. First, it allows more players to participate. Second, it helps players get comfortable with the unfamiliar surface, as there's not as much running involved compared to singles.

Golf park chief Remer can look forward to some of the state's best players. Along with Pittner, other players from the current men's vice state champion team Stralsund have signed up, as have players from Rostock and several from Greifswald. For example, Daniel Janeck (39), a long-time captain of the Greifswald men's team, wants to make a comeback at the Kaschow grass tournament after a seven-year tennis break.

Arne Geißler (47), club coach of Blau-Weiß Stralsund and one of the most successful trainers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, is intrigued: 'The ball bounces much faster and lower on grass than what our players are used to. The matches will be interesting.'

Petjo Kuzarow (35), a golf instructor in Kaschow, is familiar with grass tennis from his studies in England. He was once the captain of the university tennis team at the London School of Economics and organized the German Tennis Federation's association day in Berlin in 2012 with his sports agency.

Then he shifted focus to golf. 'Now tennis is practically coming back to my living room,' jokes Kuzarow. He doesn't want to miss the Grass Tennis Open, but plans to practice hard beforehand. The fun on grass requires good preparation.

Two natural grass courts in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: Approximately 220 tennis courts exist in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - most have red clay as their surface. Meanwhile, in the state's tennis halls, matches are mostly played on carpet. The two natural grass courts in the Golf Park Strelasund Kaschow, near the Hanseatic cities of Stralsund and Greifswald, are the only ones in the entire Northeast.

Grass courts are the sport's origin: Playing on grass is highly valued by both players and fans because the sport originated on this surface. The most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon, has been played on grass since 1877. Until the 1970s, three out of four Grand Slam tournaments were held on grass (today it's only Wimbledon). However, the 'average' tennis player seldom gets the chance to play on green.

Registration for the tournament on August 11th starts at 10 a.m. and is open until July 20th. The Grass Tennis Open in Kaschow will be a one-day event (August 11th). There will be men's and women's doubles competitions. Mixed teams can also register.

Info: Golf Park Strelasund, Zur alten Hofstelle, 18516 Süderholz/Kaschow, Tel: 038326/469250, Email: info@golfpark-strelasund.de

Travel Reporter