Stuttgart Open
The ATP tournament in Stuttgart ( officially MercedesCup, formerly International Weissenhofsiedlung tournament, colloquially Weißenhof tournament or Weissenhofsiedlung tournament ) is a tennis clay court tournament, which is annually held in July at the tennis courts of the TC Weissenhof in Stuttgart in Weißenhof district. Tournament Director is Edwin wine villages. By 2006, Bernd Nusch had held the post for 33 years. Of the players on the ATP Tour, the tournament was five times voted the world's best and most popular tournament of the year.
History
The facility at the Stuttgart Weißenhof was opened in 1914. The first International Weissenhofsiedlung tournament was held in 1916. In 1978, the tournament a member of the men's Grand Prix series. Since 1979, the tournament is played as a Mercedes Cup. 1990, it became a founding member of the championship series of the ATP. In 2007 there was a consideration to stage the tournament after the new mode Round Robin; this occur every 24 players participating in eight groups of three according to the mode " all against all " on. The eight group winners then contest the quarter- finals. Due to numerous protests on the part of the players these plans were not implemented in reality and to maintain the classic knock-out system. Between 1990 and 2008 ( except in 2002 where it was part of the ATP International Series ) belonged to the tournament for the ATP Championship Series and its successor series ATP International Series Gold. Since 2009, the tournament is part of the ATP World Tour 250
Conditioning and viewers
The complex consists of 17 outdoor and three indoor courts. The latter are not used for the tournament. Four places are being used for the '48 Singles Main Draw ( 24 double ). The Centre Court offers 6,500 spectators. 2005 visited 52,000 spectators, the tournament events, in 2006 there were 47,000 spectators. 2009 there were only about 32,000, so are the number of visitors declined sharply.
Purse
The total prize money has developed over the last few years further down. Went there until 2000 nor by one million U.S. dollars, in 2001 there were still 800 000 and 2003 765 000 U.S. dollars. The prize money in 2005 was 614 750 euros, 2006, it was reduced to 586,000 euros. Currently, the prize money is EUR 467 800; the tournament winner receives 74,000 euros and a Mercedes convertible.
Future prospects
Despite declines in prize money and audience, the organizers are planning an expansion of the tournament; the tennis courts at Weißenhof to be significantly restructured and modernized. The departure of the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre from Killesberg this creates the spatial possibilities. The contract with sponsor Mercedes -Benz has been extended to the tournament in 2012 for another three years until 2015. Since the Wimbledon Championships from 2015 a week later to take place and thus there is an additional week before the Grand Slam tournament, there were efforts on Weißenhof convert the tournament on grass and install as a warm-up tournament for Wimbledon. It is hoped thereby to obtain a more attractive field of participants, and thus counteract the audience decline. 2013, was the confirmation that the tournament will be held directly after the French Open on grass.