And in the first round there are explosive matches: The top seeded Kiki Bertens meets the Linz winner from 2015, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Kiki Mladenovic against Katerina Siniakova and Austria's number one, Barbara Haas, against the Latvian world-class player Anastasija Sevastova!

This electric bus with a length of 24 meters was parked in the courtyard of the Linz AG Center. And inside, the two top players Donna Vekic and Barbora Strycova as well as tournament director Sandra Reichel and ambassador Babsi Schett were able to draw the players' field together. As representative of Linz AG, Dr. Jutta Rinner included.

"Crazy" draw in Linz

The numbers three to eight of the seed list were hidden in anniversary books "75 years trolleybus", the remaining numbers were hidden in small messages on the bus and had to be searched first. Babsi Schett said: "The draws in Linz are always very special, but it can always be a bit crazier - like this year too." Tournament director Sandra Reichel also emphasized how happy she is about the long cooperation with Linz AG and that the draws are always a very special pleasure.

Vekic: "Everyone cares about us"

Croatian Donna Vekic and Czech Barbora Strycova, as mentioned, were two top players at the draw. "There was a completely different draw and it was very funny," said Vekic, who played against Slovenian Polona Hercog in the first round. "I have never played against them and therefore I have no real idea. But I'm ready for the tournament and I'm happy, ”said Vekic, who reached the quarterfinals at the US Open in New York this year and lost to Belinda Bencic.

The Croatian commented on “Upper Austria Ladies Linz”: “I am always happy to come back here. It's so familiar and everyone takes care of us players. ”Vekic said of the 24-meter electric bus:“ It's such a long bus, but I would never be able to drive or park with it. I even have a problem parking with small cars. ”

Defending champion Giorgi not among them

Barbora Strycova has the French Alize Cornet to the first round opponent. “This draw was special and cool. It is my third draw in my entire career and definitely the best. "The Linz winner of 2017 said about her match:" It is how it is. It's going to be a tough match against Alize, but I'm really happy to be back in Linz. It feels like coming home. "

Belinda Bencic, the second top ten player at “Upper Austria Ladies Linz 2019” after Kiki Bertens, and Jelena Ostapenko, the French Open winner of 2017, each meet a qualifier at the start of the tournament. Julia Grabher, the second ÖTV player who received a wildcard from Sandra Reichel, is playing against Slovakian Viktoria Kuzmova, and Italian defending champion Camila Giorgi had to cancel at the last moment due to injury.