Tatjana Maria, German born in 1987, is the first favorite on the grass courts of Tc Gaiba (photo Creativite Idea)
At the end of a Saturday of preparations and finishing touches, marked by the training sessions of the protagonists who arrived one by one at the Gaiba Tennis Club in view of the departure on Sunday afternoon, the third edition of the Veneto Open promoted by the Veneto Region finally knows the names of all its protagonists. Paired along the various sections of the scoreboard are all the most anticipated ones, starting with the first seeding favorite Tatjana Maria (already a finalist on these fields last year). The German will face Romanian Irina Bara, WTA number 233, on her debut. Among the 16 first round matches of the main draw that will be spread out at the beginning of the week, the spotlight will also be on Alison Van Uytvanck, the Belgian who the seeding does not put at the top of the favorites only due to ranking issues (n.266 WTA). A ranking, the current one, “ruined” by a 2023 spent in the pits treating an annoying back injury. But the pitch says something else: first of all because she has already won here, lifting the cup in 2022, and then because in the “direct clash” a week ago she got the better of Tatjana Maria: the ’94 class of Vilvorde was able to win the match and the title (on the Surbiton grass) in three sets, albeit very close. Her journey will start in front of the Swiss Celine Naef, number 161 WTA. Sara Errani also deserves the magnifying glass at the starting line. Not only for her exceptional career or for her recent exploit in doubles at Roland Garros (finalist with Jasmine Paolini), but also because the 37-year-old from Romagna (today n.88 in the singles rankings and n.15 in the doubles rankings) in Polesine has already come close to success. It was 2022 and on the other side of the net there was the blonde hair of Alison Van Uytvanck, a specialist who had not made any discounts and who is now in the same part of the scoreboard (the lower section). The Italian now tries again, as a wild card and as the number 4 seed, the assault on a title that had eluded her at the last corner, making her debut against the Serbian Natalija Stevanovic, number 186 in the WTA rankings.
While waiting for the start of the main draw (from Monday), the Veneto Open promoted by the Veneto Region starts on Sunday at 2pm with the novelty of the qualifiers: single round, 8-man draw for the last 4 places in the main draw. There is no shortage of reasons of interest: first of all the two young Italian wild cards, Jennifer Ruggeri and Anastasia Abbagnato. The first, born in Marche in 2003, will face a high-ranking opponent, 38 years old and with a past of world no. 19 in 2012: Varvara Lepchenko, an American left-hander currently no. 205 WTA but with a very high-level past and a place in the US Olympic team in the London 2012 expedition. Italy-United States challenge also for the Sicilian Abbagnato, who will face Elvina Kalieva in a clash between twenty-year-olds. To close the qualifying matches it will be the turn of the other American Alycia Parks against the Czech Anna Siskova, and the Indian Ankita Raina against the Swiss Susan Bandecchi. Now everything is ready: the fields are done to perfection, the scoreboard is done. At the Veneto Open promoted by the Veneto Region there is a green light. Green like the magical color of grass fields.
THE VENETO OPEN LIVE – As well as directly at the club entrance on match days, the coupons to attend the matches at the Central Camp of the Veneto Open promoted by the Veneto Region are available on the Clappit online ticket office, at the address: https:/ /venetopen.com/ticket/.
THE VENETO OPEN ON TV – The Veneto Open matches promoted by the Veneto Region will be broadcast live on SuperTennis TV (64 on digital terrestrial, 212 on Sky), as well as in streaming on the Supertennis.tv website and on the SuperTenniX digital platform.
WTA 125 Gaiba – Main Draw – grass
(1) Tatjana Maria vs Irina Bara
Lucrezia Stefanini 
vs Dominika Salkova
Qualifier vs Lulu Sun
(WC) Camilla Rosatello vs (7) Erika Andreeva
(3) Jessica Bouzas Maneiro vs Anca Todoni 
Qualifier vs Qualifier
(WC) Beatrice Ricci vs. Robin Montgomery
Viktoria Hruncakova vs (5) Renata Zarazua
(6) Hailey Baptiste 
vs (WC) Giorgia Pedone
Alexandra Eala 
vs Carole Monnet
Gergana Topalova vs Katarina Zavatska
Natalija Stevanovic vs (WC/4) Sara Errani
(8) Bernarda Pera vs Darja Semenistaja
Aliona Falei vs Qualifier
Alison Van Uytvanck vs Celine Naef
Kamilla Rakhimova 
vs (2) Maria Lourdes Carle
