April 16, 2022 - The 2022 Split Open tennis tournament returns next week, featuring Croatian tennis stars Borna Gojo and Duje Ajduković.

Everything is ready for the new edition of the Split Open, an ATP Challenger tournament with a prize fund of 45,730 euros, which will be played from next Monday to Sunday (April 18-24) on the grounds of Tennis Club Firule. A press conference was held on Friday in Split to announce the next edition of the tournament, reports HTS.

"We are all happy that the tournament starts in a few days. This is a great opportunity for our players. Borna Gojo and Duje Ajduković are in the main tournament, and several more of our tennis players will play in the qualifications. So I hope that time will serve us as well. I started my tennis career here," said the tournament director and famous Croatian tennis player Jelena Kostanić.

"We are delighted that the Challenger will be played in Split. I think we have the best location in the world for tennis courts. Therefore, this is the best invitation, not only to the players and guests but also to our citizens," said the president of the Split Tourist Board, Alijana Vukšić.

"From the beginning, the city of Split has supported this tournament. This is a great opportunity for young players to gain valuable experience. I would like us to enjoy great matches and have as many spectators as possible. It is also important that the tournament is held during the pre-season," said the representative of the City of Split, Igor Maretic.

"In addition to the Challenger, we have added two Futures where players pay for accommodation themselves. I want to thank the City for recognizing the project in these dark times. Many of our citizens and recreational players are satisfied with this event," said the president of TK Split 1950, Ivica Kekez.

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April 20, 2021 - Split Open 2, or the third Split Open edition held last week at the Firule Tennis Center, has come to an end. 

The ATP Challenger Split Open passed its third exam with an excellent grade. This time it was a double edition, the second and third, accompanied by many challenges. But with all the adversity, the organizers succeeded and sent back to the world a beautiful picture of Split, Dalmatia, and Croatia.

"We watched two weeks of top tennis. Everything we could influence, we did properly. The tennis players felt comfortable with us. Our team did a fantastic job, and I can say that this is Roland Garros from Split," began the director of the tournament, Ismar Moralić, giving his review of the past two weeks in which all seasons changed in the Firule neighborhood of Split. There was snow, rain, strong bura, strong south wind, warm and sunny weather—unique conditions for tennis.

"There was no tennis player to whom these fickle conditions would suit him continuously. It was hard to watch, let alone play."

Bruno Karadza

Moralić often points out that the tournament is important not only as a sporting event but also as tourism in Split and Split-Dalmatia County. In this context, it coincided that these two editions of the tournament were marked by tennis players from countries from which a large number of tourists come - Slovenia (winner of the first tournament Blaž Rola and finalist Blaž Kavčič) and Poland (Kacper Žuk won singles in the second tournament, and Szymon Walkow and Jan Zielinski doubles).

Veljko Martinovic

"It is a pity that there was no television broadcast, but an ATP stream was popular, especially in Slovenia and Poland. In both countries, the tournament was very well attended. It was a nice promotion of Croatia and Split."

However, to make the impression complete from the organizers' perspective, better results of Croatian tennis players were lacking. Last fall, at the premiere edition of the tournament, the local boys Borna Gojo and Duje Ajduković played in the semifinals, but this time none of our representatives reached the quarterfinals. Gojo did not even play due to injury. Duje, who had just recovered from the coronavirus, only passed the first round in the first tournament. Nino Serdarušić was eliminated in the second round both times. There wasn’t much success in the doubles either.

"Gojo got injured a few months ago, Duje overcame corona, and Nino lost to Ymer in a match that could have gone his way. You know what, our players probably missed the audience as well, because they are the ones who give motivation at certain moments of the match. Our policy is to give invitations to our young players, and perhaps some of them are not yet experienced enough for this level. I believe that their results will be better when they mature a little more."

Moralić added on the topic of empty stands, emphasizing the illogicality of such a decision.

"There are people in churches, casinos, cinemas, theaters, restaurants, and cafes, and it turns out that tennis is the riskiest for people's health. I don’t know why this is so because we were able to maintain space at the stadium. It hit us organizers and tennis players as well, but unfortunately, we can’t influence those things."

After the curtain was drawn on the third Split Open, there are smiles, satisfaction, and relief on the faces of the organizers, staff, and volunteers for a job well done, but we are still a little sad that it is over. They are already starting to work on the next edition, an even better and stronger Split Open. The term should remain the same, in the spring."It is difficult to plan anything in the short term, let alone in the long term because of the coronavirus. However, we will do everything to make the tournament even better. We do it because we want to create a tennis center in Split that will be recognized worldwide. With our partners, we will do everything to make next year's tournament as top-notch as it was in the past two weeks," concluded Ismar Moralić, concluding a beautiful two-week tennis story in Split.

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April 12, 2021 - Blaž Rola is the winner of the ATP Challenger Split Open, defeating Blaž Kavčič in the final on Sunday at TC Firule. 

At the Central Court of TC Firule, the sixth-seed Rola reached the triumph with a 2:6, 6:3, 6:2 result in two hours and 16 minutes of play. Kavčič was flawless in the first set, but when he returned from the break between sets, Rola played much more decisively and aggressively. He immediately went to 3:0 and kept that advantage until the end of the set, only to enter the final set with a break.

Kavčič found it increasingly difficult to cope with his shots, so Rola once again took away his serve for the 5:2 lead, but that was not the end. The longest game of the match followed, in which Kavčič did not realize three break opportunities, while Rola realized the third match point. 

Veljko Martinović

This is Rola's first victory over Kavčič in their fourth duel and certainly the most important. He reached his fifth Challenger title, but the first on European soil, after Guangzhou in 2014, Santos in 2015, Tallahassee in 2017, and Leon in 2019.

"My feelings are mixed because I played against a good friend with whom I train every day. It is a pity that there had to be only one winner," said the 30-year-old from Ptuj to the gathered journalists after the match, holding the winning trophy firmly.

He looked back at the match:

"I don't even know how I got it! These conditions are more suitable for the other Blaž; it was slow and cold. He played the first set without a mistake, and then I became a little more aggressive. Too bad for the corona because I'm sure the stands would be full today. Everyone from Slovenia who supports us would come, but all credit to the organizer. I know it wasn’t easy for him in these times."

On the other hand, Kavčič from Ljubljana, who is four years older, delighted everyone with his fighting spirit and numerous upheavals. However, he failed to win this third set in the final. He ran out of fuel.

"I did the first set without a mistake, and then I lost my temper a bit. Maybe fatigue had accumulated, so I was making mistakes I don’t normally make. After the first set, Blaž started attacking more, and I wasn’t ready for that. I fell on the defensive, I tried to get as close as possible to the line, but I failed," commented Kavčič.

Veljko Martinović

With 17 titles, he is among the ten best players in the Challengers of all time. However, he will have to wait a little longer for his next title. 

The coach of Rola and Kavčič, also Blaž, Trupej, proudly watched the match from the stands and later took photos with his players, who recently won the Zadar Challenger in doubles.

"We have been working together since last December, and this final is proof that we are doing well," said Rola, and Kavčič continued:

"We know each other very well, and we are friends off the court. We almost spend more time with each other than with our wives, haha. We are training hard, and we hope that there will be more finals."

The director of the tournament, Ismar Moralić, presented Rola with the winning trophy. He will also receive 6,190 euros and 80 points. Kavčič receives 3650 euros and 48 points. Rola should jump from 165th place to approximately 147th on the ATP list, while Kavčič should progress from 238th to around 215th place.

Unfortunately, Rola will not defend the title next week because he is going to the Belgrade Challenger. The performance of Kavčič, who should play in the first round against the second seed Marco Polmans, is also questionable.

"I need to talk to the coach. I’ve had injury problems recently, so I have to be careful; I don't want to go with my head through the wall. It is possible that I will not perform," Kavčič concluded.

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April 11, 2021 - Saturday at the ATP Challenger Split Open concluded with an exciting final in the doubles competition in which Kazakhstani team Andrej Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovjesov won the title.

Golubev and Nedovjesov justified their first-seed role by winning the Split Open with a victory in the final against Szymon Walkow and Jan Zielinski from Poland 7:5, 6:7 (5), 10-5. In a dramatic and quality clash, the nuances really decided the result, and in the end, a series of three consecutive points for the Kazakhstani pair's 6-3 lead in the super tie break was crucial.

It was close in the first two sets, especially in the second when the Kazakh side failed to realize as many as seven break opportunities and the Polish team three. In the 13th game, Walkow and Zielinski won the third set, but the winning trophy still went to favored Golubev and Nedovjesov. This is the sixth joint title in the Challengers for the Kazakhstani pair. They will share 2,670 euros and 80 points, while the finalists will receive 1,550 euros and 48 points.

Both pairs stay in Split for the new Challenger next week - Golubev and Nedovjesov are the second seed in the draw and start against the Croatian team Borna Gojo - Nino Serdarušić, while Walkow and Zielinski go against the fourth seed Purava Raju and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn.

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April 10, 2021 - The ATP Challenger Split Open 3rd edition, which starts on Monday, April 12, was announced at a press conference on the Firule Tennis Center's terrace.

Tournament director Ismar Moralić said that this week's tournament, which is still in progress, is going great, and he also revealed that three invitations for the main tournament go to Croatian tennis players Borna Gojo, Duje Ajduković, and Nino Serdarušić.

"The first tournament is taking place in a nice atmosphere so far. It is disturbed only by bad weather and low temperatures that we struggle with every day. We are bravely going to the second week," said Moralić, expressing satisfaction that all the players, their entourage, and the tournament staff are negative for Covid-19.

"This is actually a key thing because only one infected person can knock down an entire tournament like a domino. Tests are according to the ATP protocol every Wednesday, and I hope that next week we will all be negative."

Veljko Martinović

Like this week, Duje Ajduković and Nino Serdarušić will receive two invitations for the main tournament. The third will be given to Borna Gojo, who skipped the first tournament due to a back injury.

"Borna worked hard, went through therapy, and we believe that he will achieve a good result in the next tournament, just like Duje and Nino. Duje returned in an incredible match against Brown, and Nino defeated Clarke in conditions that were more similar to polar ones, and that certainly took away a lot of his strength for the next match," said Moralić.

The list of players will remain similar to this week.

"The 'cut' for the main tournament is 202nd place, and for the qualifications 220th, so even a little lower than this week. We hope for a slightly better weather forecast," Moralić added.

Borna Gojo, who was also at the press conference, spook about his back problems.

"It started in Australia when I was quarantined for 14 days. The day after I went out, I played with Popyrin and carried those problems ever since. It's taking a while. I expect to win every tournament, so do Duje and Nino."

Unfortunately, there will be no audience in the stands next week either.

"The audience will be missed a lot. I wouldn't be the first to play in the semifinals last year if it weren't for the audience. They pushed Duje and me. Home is always a special feeling. From what I hear from other tennis players, the impressions are positive. They are satisfied with the club, organization, and accommodation," said Gojo.

Veljko Martinović

Ajduković, on the other hand, hopes for a better result than this week when he was eliminated in the second round. However, he’s happy to be playing at all, given that he recently got over the coronavirus.

"My fight and effort brought me back to the match against Brown, and against Role, I chose the wrong tactics, and after that, it was difficult to come back. I had COVID-19, because of which I spent ten days in isolation in Zadar, and now it is not easy to regain my old form. I didn’t even know if I would play, so these two matches will help lift my form. I will definitely be better next week," said Ajduković.

Serdarušić also dropped out in the second round, but that is also a shift compared to last year when he was knocked out in the first round.

"Thanks to the director for the invitation, it's great that we have three Croatians in the main tournament. For me, this week was positive because I didn't really play this year. I also went through COVID-219 and quarantine. The situation is certainly not normal because we are quarantined almost every week, we have to get tested, and we don’t know if we will cross the border, but at least we are lucky to be able to play. A lot of players are under stress, and no one is in great shape. It’s great for us that we don’t really have to travel outside the country every week, and now we’re home for two weeks. These conditions on Firule can only be compared to Monte Carlo, in that the terrain is immediately at sea."

The draw for the qualifiers, singles tournament, and doubles tournament is scheduled for Saturday.

"I hope that we will have at least one Croat in the final. Let Borna, Duje, and Nino agree on who it will be!" concluded Ismar Moralić. 

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April 6, 2021 - Bernard Tomić, the main star of the ATP Challenger Split Open, was eliminated in the first round by seventh-seed Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium 6:2, 4:6, 6:3.

In the two-hour match, the Australian and former member of the Top 20 had an early "break" at the start of the third set. He saved as many as nine breaks in that set, but Coppejans, the junior winner of Roland Garros in 2012, took away Tomić's service for the 5:3 lead, followed by 0-40 on the way to the victory. In the next round, Coppejans goes against another Australian, Aleksandar Vukić, who eliminated Croatian Mili Poljičk.

Robert Pleško

Robert Pleško

The third seed, Austrian Sebastian Ofner, lost to Argentine Andrea Collarini 6:4, 6:4, the fifth seed Danilo Petrović from Serbia easily defeated the Czech veteran Lukas Rosol 6:1, 6:3, registering his first victory this year, and the sixth seed Blaž Rola from Slovenia was successful against Kazakhstan's Dmitrij Popko (6:3, 6:4).

Robert Pleško

Last year's Split Open quarterfinalist Maximilian Marterer from Germany and Swede Elias Ymer also qualified for the second round, and Blaž Kavčič, Uladzimir Ignatik, Akira Santillan, and Mirza Bašić secured a place in the main tournament through the qualifications.

Robert Pleško

Tuesday should be a rich day in Firule, although Split's weather forecast is not very favorable, especially in the latter part of the day. The program on the Central Court at 10:30 am will be opened by Duje Ajduković and Dustin Brown, the third match at 10:30 am on Court 3 will be played by Nino Serdarušić and Jay Clarke, and the doubles tournament will start, with three Croatian pairs in action (Krolo / Mikrut, Kekez / Poljičak and the Sabanov brothers). Last year's finalist and first-seed Pedro Sousa will also play, followed by Robin Haase and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Robert Pleško

ATP CHALLENGER SPLIT OPEN, Round 1
Vukić (Aus) - Poljičak (Hrv, WC) 6:1, 6:1
Petrović (Srb, 5) - Rosol (Češ) 6:1, 6:3
Collarini (Arg) - Ofner (Aut, 3) 6:4, 6:4
Marterer (Nje) - Domingues (Por) 7:5, 6:3
E. Ymer (Šve) - Muller (Fra) 6:0, 6:4
Coppejans (Bel, 7) - Tomić (Aus) 6:2, 4:6, 6:3
Rola (Slo, 6) - Popko (Kaz) 6:3, 6:4

Round 2 Qualifications
Kavčič (Slo, 1) - Martineau (Fra) 3:6, 6:3, 6:1
Ignatik (Bje, 7) - Wu (Tpe, 2) 7:6 (1), 6:3
Santillan (Aus, 3) - Zekić (Srb) 2:6, 6:3, 6:4
Bašić (BiH, 5) - Klein (Svk, 4) 6:2, 6:4

April 6, 2021

Central Court (from 10:30)
Ajduković (Hrv, WC) - Brown (Nje, PR)
Haase (Niz) - Polmans (Aus, 2)
Sousa (Por, 1) - Žuk (Polj)
Golubev/Nedovjesov (Kaz, 1) - Krolo/Mikrut (Hrv, WC)

Court 3 (from 10:30)
Bolt (Aus) - Ignatik (Bje, Q)
Bašić (BiH, Q) - Ilkel (Tur)
Clarke (VB) - Serdarušić (Hrv, WC)
Raja/Weissborn (Ind/Aut, 4) - Kekez/Poljičak (Hrv, WC)

Court 4 (from 10:30)
Safwat (Egi, 4) - Kavčič (Slo, Q)
Kokkinakis (Aus, PR) - Horansky (Svk, 8)
Santillan (Aus, Q) - Kolar (Češ, SE)
Petrović/Safwat (Srb/Egi) - I. Sabanov/M. Sabanov (Hrv)

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April 5, 2021 - Mili Poljičak tried as hard as he could, but failed to make it out of the Split Open's first round.

The 16-year-old tennis player from Split, who received an invitation from the organizers instead of the injured Borna Goja, met Aleksandar Vukić on Monday who made it very tough to win. It was 6:1, 6:1 in 51 minutes of play.

Even with good knowledge of the Firule terrain, it couldn't help Mili, as the Australian tennis player with Montenegrin and Bosnian roots was simply too strong. Mili tried many things, on one occasion even a serve under his arm, but nothing worked in the long run against the twenty-four-year-old Sydney-born player and the 207th tennis player on the ATP list.

Robert Pleško

"I expected more, but it didn't work out. He was a lot better than me, and I wasn’t at my best. For me, this is only the fourth senior tournament; here the guys are more prepared, better, and faster and it is difficult to switch from junior tennis. If I had used some opportunities at the beginning of the match, it might have been different, but Vukić set himself up well and I had no chance," commented Poljičak after the match, who reached his first professional victory in ITF tournaments in Rovinj last month. Now, he's made his debut in the Challengers in Split and, despite a convincing defeat, gained valuable experience to continue his career.

Robert Pleško

Poljičak is also competing in the doubles competition of the Split Open, where he and partner Duja Kekez will play against fourth seed Raja and Weissborn in the first round.

"After these doubles, the plan is to play the next Challenger in Split, then Futures in Šibenik, some junior tournaments, and then junior Roland Garros," concluded Poljičak.

Winner Vukić praised the young Croatian tennis player.

Robert Pleško

"He is young and has potential, it can be seen immediately. I was already in Croatia, in Bol at the ITF tournament and it was really nice. So that is why I am here now in Split. The hotel and food are great, the tennis center in Firule too. Everything is great."

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April 3, 2021 - As a kind of overture to this year's Split Open, the organizers prepared a commendable action and organized a wheelchair tennis tournament in Split that they hope will become a tradition!

At the first historic tournament held at the Tennis Center in Firule, the winner was Split representative Sven Maretić who initiated the action. Best Croatian wheelchair tennis player Anto Joskić and the young Ante Kolunđija from Dubrovnik also played. Maretić defeated Joskic 7:5, 2:6, 10:8, and Kolundija 6:1, 7:5, while Joskic took second place, beating Kolundija 6:4, 6:1.

Robert Pleško

But the result was less important in this case. Much more important was the message that wheelchair tennis is also arriving on the sports map of Split, for which Maretić is primarily responsible as the founder of the Tennis Club for Persons with Disabilities Split 2020.

Robert Pleško

"Thanks to everyone who helped make this story come to life south of Zagreb, and to the organizer for the opportunity. With this event we want to raise awareness in a community that, I must emphasize, is no longer closed as before. If the Split Challenger becomes an ATP 250 series tournament next year, so will we, and the City of Split will be behind us. It is a noble purpose, and the people of Split love tennis and I hope that the wheelchair tennis tournament will become a tradition," said Maretić, who is praised for the triumph over Joskić, especially since he has only been playing tennis for a year.

Robert Pleško

"This victory will lift me up, but my ambitions are even bigger."

For wheelchair tennis, the rules are the same as on the ATP Tour, except that here the ball can fall to the ground twice.

"Yes, all other rules are the same and all players are in the same absolute category, although it would be fairer to divide us by the number of injuries. Wheelchair tennis has long been an integral part of the Grand Slam tournament, and I hope that in the future it will become the standard at the ATP level as well. Umag has been doing this for years," added Maretić, a guy of indestructible spirit who started wheelchair basketball in his hometown a few years ago.

Robert Pleško

"The smallest problem is my will and desire to turn it into a sport. We want to create the widest possible range of sports for people with disabilities in Split, so that they can compete and socialize," concluded Sven Maretić.

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 April 3, 2021 - The second edition of the ATP Challenger Split Open this year will be a two-parter! Week after week, two ATP Challenger tournaments in Split will be played, from April 5 to 11 and from April 12 to 18, at the Tennis Center in the Firule neighborhood of Split.

Last year's premiere edition at the beginning of autumn was a success, and this year an additional step forward is expected in all segments of the organization.

Just before the start of the tournament, a press conference was organized on the terrace of the Split Tennis Club 1950 in Firule, where the tournament director Ismar Moralić revealed the main news.

“The fact that we have two tournaments is a reward for all the good we did last year. The original date was from April 12 to 18, and then there was an opportunity for another tournament that we couldn’t miss. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, we did not get permission for spectators in the stands. These are some things we can’t influence.

Robert Pleško

Strong names in the draw are expected this year, although Moralić points out that the final list of players depends on the negative tests for Covid-19, which the players must submit by Sunday.

“The ‘cut’ for the main tournament is 188th place, and for the qualifiers 216. Again, none of our players could enter the qualifiers, giving them invitations for the main tournament. They go to the local boys and last year's semifinalists Borna Goja and Duja Ajduković and our Davis Cup national team member Nino Serdarušić. I believe the second tournament will be even stronger as only Monte Carlo is played that week. We have 32 players in the draw, and 450 of them applied for the tournament. This year we also had pre-qualifications in which 40 players competed. They were a complete hit, and that is the direction we will continue.”

Moralić thanked everyone without whose support the tournament would not have been possible.

“Thank you to the City of Split with Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara, who recognized the project; thank you to Split-Dalmatia County, the Split Tourist Board, and the Split Sports Federation headed by Andrija Polić. Look at the club today; it looks better than a year ago, infrastructurally and the court's quality."

Mate Omazić, Head of the Department for Social Activities, spoke on behalf of the City of Split.

“Under normal conditions, the goal was to have a tournament before Sv. Duje, in the pre-season. Last year's edition had a great response, and I am glad that the children of Split will once again get a chance to earn points that will raise them on the ranking list. We need to invest in young people, and the City has recognized that. TC Firule gets the final views.”

Robert Pleško

Ivica Kekez, president of TK Split 1950, announced that Split could soon win the tournament at the ATP level.

"We are creating a world brand, and Split and this center deserve an ATP tournament, although it will depend on the economic situation in the city. We could do it at the level of Umag, if not better."

The statement of Tomislav Borozan, director of the Public Institution Sports Facilities Split, is on the same track.

“I am sure that this tournament will make a step forward in quality and organization and that it will become an ATP tournament. This center deserves it. By the way, traffic and parking are a big problem at this location, but we have a solution. There is a two-story parking project on plots 8, 9, and 10 where there are over 3000 square meters; it was denied funds due to COVID-19 last year. There are 250 parking spaces and three new tennis courts at the road level, which would give us three indoor courts. It is a self-sustainable project; not a penny is needed from the city budget.”

The draw for the Split Open qualifiers is scheduled for Saturday, and the main tournament draw for Sunday. Qualifiers are played on Sunday and Monday, and the first matches of the main tournament are also from Monday, April 5t.

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February 16, 2021 - Top tennis will again be enjoyed in Split's Firule neighborhood, as the Split Open 2021 ATP Challenger tournament returns for its 2nd edition.

With original plans to launch in April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the new Split Open sporting event to the end of September and the beginning of October last year - though changing the term did not seem to affect its success. 

"The tournament returns to its original date, April. This is an extremely attractive date because this year we will play from April 12 to 18, when there is no other tournament in Europe except ours and the one in Monte Carlo. This also guarantees attractive names that do not enter the Monte Carlo draw," announced Ismar Moralić, director of the ATP Challenger in Split, for Slobodna Dalmacija.

Was it difficult to arrange a second tournament in just half a year?

"Well, not really. It is always difficult to put together the first edition; later, the story is practically arranged, the details are corrected. The financial situation caused by the pandemic is no better than last year. In short, we are working with what we have, and we believe that we will once again make the tournament at the highest possible level, which will be recognized by the audience again."

What were the reactions after the tournament last year?

"I believe that the presence of the audience is the best answer to that question. Some looked for a ticket for days. From the first day, the tournament was extremely well attended. We believe that we would have sold out the maximum capacity of the club in normal conditions. Certainly in this context, the praise of ATP should be mentioned, who themselves, in addition to exceptional organization, also emphasized that the tournament was recognized by the audience, which surprised them, especially at this pandemic time. We are just sorry that the tournament was not covered a little better by some national media, especially HRT, which did not even come close to fulfilling what they announced. When two Croatian players rank the best in their careers and enter the semifinals of one Challenger, the only Croatian professional ATP category tournament that year, and national television does not recognize it, it is clear that someone in the editorial office did not do their job well. I hope that they learned from their mistakes and that they will stick to what was agreed this year because the subscription is paid by everyone, including those who love tennis and those who play it."

What does it mean that the tournament is during the same week as Monte Carlo?

"It's extremely good for the tournament. The Monte Carlo draw is 64, which means that all tennis players who want to play in a European country have the opportunity to play only with us. I believe that we will see a certain number of players from the top 100 in Split. Especially if we take into account that last year we had a stronger draw than some tournaments from the higher category, i.e., the official calendar of the highest category."

Are there any confirmed names yet?

"It is too early to talk about that two months before the tournament; let's leave something for later. I will say that we guarantee the Split audience a strong tournament this year as well and that we do not doubt the response of the local fans, which, we believe, is the most important thing for the audience."

Would it be useful to open the stands, at least partly?

"Unfortunately, there are things that even we directors cannot influence. Tennis is played primarily for the sake of the audience, as are all sports. A tennis stadium where there are only two players in the presence of a referee is an incredibly lonely sports arena. We see what is happening now in Australia, where a lockdown is being introduced in the middle of the tournament. We hope that two months in the case of this pandemic is a very long period, that things will turn out best for the tournament, the audience, and the players themselves," concluded Moralić.

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