TC Rungg Südtirol: Ready for the new season

Almost a year ago, in 2021, which has already gone down in the club's history, the gates of the A1 tennis team championship opened for TC Rungg. Hard training and good planning enabled TC Rungg to start this fascinating adventure with two teams: the men's team TC Rungg Meran Speck and the women's team TC Rungg KIKU.

After an incredible autumn, the “newcomer” from Eppan was able to outdo himself and won the title of Italian runner-up with the women at the first attempt and reached the playoff semi-finals with the men. The men's team lost there to the future Italian champion New Tennis Torre del Greco. It was an extraordinary and intense year in which TC Rungg almost won an Italian championship title at the first attempt. Now Rungg Südtirol is starting with the aim of maintaining the category and being involved in the group of the most renowned and important tennis clubs in Italy. Kick-off on October 9th with the A1 women's series The Fall A1 Teams Championship begins on Sunday, October 9th with the first day of the Women's Championship. The starting line-up includes Tc Rungg Kiku, led by Karin Knapp, a figure who doesn't need much introduction nationally or internationally. Years ago, Karin Knapp moved to Lazio, where she runs the Piccari&Knapp Tennis Team Academy in Anzio with her husband Francesco Piccari, supported by her brother Alessandro Piccari and a broad staff of employees.

Remaining in the league is the goal. © ANDREAS KEMENATER

As a player, Karin Knapp, the former number 33 in the world rankings, whose best ranking was achieved in August 2015, has won two WTA titles (Tashkent and Nuremberg), and her best result in Grand Slam tournaments is reaching the round of 2013 at Wimbledon Year 2016, the year in which she won the Fed Cup with Italy. In August XNUMX she took also took part in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Now the tennis player from Bruneck has agreed to coach the women's team at TC Rungg Südtirol KIKU. Immediately away against Genoa The next women's A1 championship will begin on October 9th. The women, led by new coach Karin Knapp, supported by Manuel Gasbarri and Daniele Ceraudo, are placed in Group 2 together with TC Genoa, TC Italia and Tennis Beinasco. After the premiere in Genoa (October 9th), the first home game is scheduled for October 23rd against TC Italia. There are many faces from last season in the ranks of TC Rungg Kiku, but there are also some newcomers.

The young players, Verena Meliss and Lara Pfeifer, but also the “veterans” Paula Ormaechea, an Argentinian who has had an Italian passport for years, and the Swiss Susan Bandecchi, who is now trying to make a comeback after a stress fracture in her foot, have been confirmed. and the Belgian Quirine Lemoine.

Verena Meliss plays for the women. © ANDREAS KEMENATER

Dalila Spiteri from Apulia and Martina Spigarelli from Lombardy will also play in Runng again. An absolute novelty is the arrival of the Austrian Barbara Haas, number 1 in Austria, already 134 in the world (her best ranking in 2016), returned to the court in April after wrist surgery. Men's premiere on October 23rd The Tc Rungg Alpeker men's team has to wait two more weeks before the new A1 season begins. The team is led by Manuel and Valerio Gasbarri and plays in Group 4 together with TC Italia (which also includes Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego), Junior Perugia and TC Selva Alta. In the year of the 100th anniversary of the highest Italian men's championship, which is reserved for the clubs affiliated to the Italian Tennis Federation (first edition in 1922), the TC Rungg Alpeker starts with many confirmations.

The men's team. © ANDREAS KEMENATER

The “veterans” Federico Gaio, Elmar Ejupovic and Marco Bortolotti stayed in Eppan, as did the Argentinian Andrea Collarini, number 1 of TC Rungg (ATP 208) and the Spaniard Mario Vilella Martinez. The new additions include the German Benjamin Hassan and Mathias Bachinger. The list of young players is also well-staffed and in a fighting spirit, consisting of Patrick Prader, Horst Rieder, Nicolò Toffanin, Moritz Trocker, Georg Winkler, Maximilian Figl and Sebastian Brzezisnki. The Croatian Mario Sancic is also on the schedule. The tournament formula The men's A1 series is played by 16 teams in four groups of four teams, with round-trip play. The top teams in each group take part in a four-team, home-and-away playoff round. The second-placed teams in the groups retain the right to take part in the A2023 series in 1. The third- and fourth-placed teams participate in an eight-team playoff round, which is a two-legged tie (the second leg takes place at the home of the third-placed team).

Eight teams take part in the women's A1 series, divided into two groups of four teams each. Since the teams in the same group cannot meet each other, the top two teams in each group take part in a play-off round with a return leg (the second leg takes place at the home game of the first-placed team); The third and fourth-placed teams, however, play a play-out round with a return leg (the second leg takes place in the home game of the third-placed team). Statements from those responsible Karin Knapp , TC Rungg KIKU captain: “I am very happy about the opportunity that Manuel Gasbarri, whom I thank for their trust, and TC Rungg, whom I know very well, have given me. I have been in contact with Manuel Gasbarri for some time and when he made this suggestion to me, I was very happy to accept this new assignment. I know almost all the players who will be part of our team. We want to play an important championship and are trying to build our way in our group step by step. As a player, I was able to gain experience in the A1 series and therefore know that it is a very special championship, the geographical composition of which can change from year to year. This championship features the best players in Italy, but it is also true that it is difficult to make predictions since the performance of a team also depends on the presence and availability of each player involved in international activities in the autumn and winter are."

Karl Stuefer , President of TC Rungg Südtirol: “A difficult season awaits us, but we knew that from the beginning when we embarked on this adventure. We are dealing with the best clubs in Italy, we are part of this group and we are proud of the work we have done in recent years to promote youth development. Our aim is to do well and bring the public to the games, because the A1 Series is a showcase with many international profiles and a great opportunity for our talent to learn the secrets of top-class tennis.”

Manuel Gasbarr i , technical director of TC Rungg Südtirol: “Every season has its own story. After last year's fantastic season, we want to confirm ourselves at this level, let our players mature and play all games with the utmost commitment. We are up against very well-structured clubs who have a much bigger budget than us, but we are not afraid to get back into the game. We have two teams in Serie A1 and we know our background, which has its roots in a small village in South Tyrol. If we have made it this far, it is also a credit to the club's management and all of our partners who support our work and firmly believe in it. We want to avoid relegation and stay in Serie A1. We will try until the end, with the usual fighting spirit that has characterized us for so many years.”

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

TC Rungg Südtirol: Ready for the new season

TC Rungg Südtirol is preparing to tackle its second consecutive season in the top A1 tennis team championship with two teams. Goal: Relegation for both Eppan Tennis Club teams. It starts on Sunday, October 9th with the season opener for the women of TC Rungg Südtirol KIKU.

Suggestions

Comments (0)