Great tennis in Innsbruck!

"Hip hop and swing out clean, back to starting position!"

"Four reps and then side through the running ladder!"

"And next!"

And how I've missed it. Now that I finally get to teach again after the dreary winter, the eyes of the tennis students are shining more than ever. Because all the anticipation of weekly tennis training then wants to be expressed on the court.
Tennis combines many things and even contains elements of ballet: graceful movements, with a calm posture and yet explosive: always keeping a good rhythm.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! That's more or less how the average rally sounds when professionals "thump" the ball: with precision and control. After four contacts at the latest, a cracking winner follows. And that boom is the boom. Tennis has never completely disappeared from the scene. After all, world sports can survive downturns without national ambassadors who cause a sensation on all continents and then go on to win really big, important tournaments. Like our figurehead, the 2020 US Open champion and popular figure, Dominic Thiem, from Lower Austria.

And tennis is also big in Innsbruck. Not least thanks to its semi-recent history. In women's world tennis, Innsbruck women have achieved great things.

Barbara Schett, among the top ten in singles and doubles, and Silvia Plischke, former number 27 in the world rankings, are known beyond the borders of Innsbruck. These remain truly outstanding achievements.

A good 30 years ago, as an enthusiastic boy, I grew into tennis and was even allowed to train occasionally with these two exceptional female athletes. It was a time when there were waiting lists for tennis memberships in the clubs and also the all-around tennis was really exciting. Superleague men's and women's teams with international stars were the order of the day on weekends in the spring and fall. Hundreds of spectators filled the small but fine grandstands. As children, we could hardly believe our luck. This is where my passion for tennis was born. It is still unbroken today.

Tennis has come back to stay. History is repeating itself. The eyes of children and young people are shining even more than ever. Because the Davis Cup will be a guest in Innsbruck's Olympic Hall in the late fall of 2021. Brilliant for all of us, because this will make tennis even more attractive, and rightly so. Some of my students already want to be sure of a place on the court and serve the felt balls to the stars Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic before they serve.

Now that the pandemic is finally clearing up, tennis can really come alive again in the clubs. So the children can really let off steam at tennis camps, discover tennis anew or develop it individually. But also the planned tournaments for children, youth and general classes as well as the team championships of the Tyrolean Tennis Federation can start again.

As an enthusiastic tennis instructor, I try to make access to the sport as easy as possible. Tennis is interdisciplinary and often an ingenious introduction to the world of sport. Especially for children and young people, an early imprint with multisport skills is important for the future. And tennis, with all its facets, forms a very good basis. And no matter which main sport children stick to later on. Anyone who learns tennis correctly as a child will remain a tennis player for life.

It is well known that the city of Innsbruck invests in the maintenance of its sports facilities. Because only then does the Olympic city remain a venue for major events. And Innsbruck is also working on breadth. Because without width there will never be a top. A recent example is the modern tennis facility with outdoor and indoor courts of the Innsbruck Gymnastics Association at Wiesengasse 20, which keeps the world sport of tennis attractive all year round. And this offer is gladly accepted across generations.

Serve, kick, backhand, return, slice, longline, forehand, topspin, cross, drive, lob, smash, game, set and win: In addition to a multitude of stroke variations whose development never remains complete, tennis is demanding for body and mind. It combines endurance and strength, agility and coordination, action and reaction, strategy and tactics, technique and elegance, precision and finesse, as well as balance and feeling for the ball. And tennis can be played well into old age. Besides the health aspect, it also keeps your mind fresh.

Here is a small but nice workout with the jumping string for general fitness and more effervescence on the court.

• Event: Davis Cup Final Tournament
• When? 25-30 November 2021 in Innsbruck
• Where? Olympiaworld Innsbruck
• Scope: 2 groups of three and 1 quarterfinal:
• Group matches:
  • Group F: Austria, Germany, Serbia
  • Group C: France, Great Britain, Czech Republic
• Quarterfinals:
  • the winners of both groups against each other
• Stars: Novak Djokovic, Dominc Thiem, Alexander Zverev
• Tickets daviscup@emotiongroup.com