By Romi Cvitkovic
Set in the picturesque Gastein valley of the Austrian Alps, the red clay tennis courts of the NÜRNBERGER Gastein Ladies tournament lay in sharp contrast to the green of the surrounding national park. Bad Gastein is known as a luxurious spa town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, and the word “bad” translates to “spa” reflecting the town’s history as a health resort. But for one week in June, Bad Gastein is overtaken by hard-hitting WTA tennis players, and this year’s edition includes the likes of Julia Goerges, Yanina Wickmayer, Alize Cornet and Carla Suarez Navarro among others.
Tennis Grandstand photographer Rick Gleijm will be in Bad Gastein all week taking photos of the ladies in the beautiful surroundings, so make sure to check back each day for new on- and off-court photos!
Today’s photos cover qualification weekend as well as the arrival of German Julia Goerges, and the draw ceremony featuring Austrian tennis players Barbara Haas and Nicole Rottman, French player Alize Cornet and special guest Austrian pro snowboarder Andreas Prommegger.