Swiss tennis fans are looking forward to the Ladies Championship Gstaad. Timea Bacsinszky (WTA 31) and Viktorija Golubic (WTA 63) - last year's sensational winner - will be competing.
The images are probably still vivid in the minds of many tennis fans: Debutant Viktorjia Golubic dropping to the clay, then beaming as she makes her way to the net to hug her opponent in the final, Kiki Bertens.
It was July 17, 2016, and the then 23-year-old from Zurich caused a sensation at the Ladies Championships in Gstaad. It was her first WTA title, her first ever final at WTA level. And Golubic also wins it against Kiki Bertens, who was actually the favorite.
Viktorija Golubic is back again this year. And with Timea Bacsinszky, Switzerland has another hot iron in the fire. Last year, Bacsinszky lost to Bertens in the semi-finals (5:7, 6:7) and narrowly missed out on the Swiss final. Will the two meet in the final in 2017? It would be another Swiss tennis fairytale.
The rest of the field of participants is not yet complete. In addition to Golubic and Bacsinszky, only Australian Samantha Stosur, who is ranked number 24 in the world, has confirmed her participation.
From a Swiss perspective, the 17-year-old Basel talent Rebeka Masarova and the former world-class Swiss player Patty Schnyder could still receive a wild card. Incidentally, Viktorija Golubic received one last year. The rest of the story is well known.
LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP GSTAAD
July 15 - 23, 2017, Roy Emerson Arena Gstaad
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