At the end of the day, wishes and reality went perfectly together for the first edition of the Bad Homburg lawn tournament.
Even if the weather temporarily did not play along, the spectators saw a lot of high-class women's tennis in the Kurpark and at the end were also able to celebrate their favorite winner.
Angelique Kerber, participant and tournament ambassador in one, won the trophy and self-confidence for the Wimbledon tournament.
And that such an event could take place in Corona times, visibly well protected and in front of sold-out stands, rounded off the experience.
The small, fine WTA tournament could become something big in the Rhine-Main region and beyond as a “boutique tournament” for Wimbledon over the next four years of the contract.
Signs far from good
The omens were anything but good.
The plans for the first edition suffered from the pandemic, in several ways.
On the one hand, the organizers did not know how the incidence figures were developing in southern Hesse and had to prepare a stripped-down version of the tournament in the shortest possible time due to the restrictions.
On the other hand, those responsible at Roland Garros postponed the Paris Grand Slam tournament by a week in the justified hope that the easing in Paris would allow as many spectators as possible to come to the facility. The already short grass season became even more crowded for the tennis professionals, which caused the fields of participants in the German grass tournaments to suffer.
The competition, which was held for the first time in Berlin, was particularly tough, where eight of the top ten players in the world rankings had agreed, but then withdrew. The lower-rated Bad Homburg Open had also lost some train numbers. Immediately before the start of the tournament, the top seeded Romanian Simona Halep canceled, then the American Sloane Stephens, and finally Viktoria Asarenka (Belarus) withdrew injured after her round of 16. Three Grand Slam tournament winners quickly gone, plus annoying rain on two days: The premiere in the Kurpark had to cope with a few setbacks.
There are several reasons why the tournament can still be described as a success.
On the one hand: the players felt comfortable.
The Wimbledon pitch was well-kept, the atmosphere was cozy, and the mood was great.
The question is to what extent this will stay that way.
It is becoming apparent that the German train numbers will be lost during the remaining four years of the contract with Wimbledon.
Angelique Kerber and the Hessian local hero Andrea Petkovic are already in the late stages of their careers, and similarly powerful successors are not in sight.
When Kerber is no longer a participant, but only the tournament director, the acid test will follow to see how much the Rhine-Main region really craves to see top international women's tennis.