Tournament Dates 2015: May 2-10

The International Women's Tournament ITF EMPIRE Slovak Open with a prize money of 100 000 USD is the biggest women's tennis tournament in Slovakia as it was last year. EMPIRE Slovak Open held on clay in May has the potential to become the biggest Slovak women's tournament in history. It's prize money is still raising. At the end of the first year, it had been 25 000 USD. In 2011, it was twice the size. This and last year, there were 75 000 USD which was divided to players and tournament was again called International Championship of Slovakia. This will repeat during the upcoming 7th year, but at the same time, prize money will raise on 100 000 USD.

More informationas on the website: www.empireslovakopen.sk

In the past, the world's players as Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Lucie Hradecka, Jovana Jaksic, Julia Glushko, Sandra Zahlavova, Elena Bovina, Yvonne Meusburger, Simona Halep, but also Jana Cepelova have been participated on tennis courts of TC Empire Trnava. Tennis tournament ITF EMPIRE Slovak Open 2014 has the winner from Slovakia for the first time in its history. The 2014 title belongs to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova from Kosice, who has won the final against Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2.

EMPIRE Slovak Open 2015

Danka Kovinić beat Russian Margarita Gasparyan in straight sets 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the EMPIRE Slovak Open 2015 in Trnava on Sunday to lift her first trophy of the season.

VIDEO: Singles ceremony

VIDEO: Doubles ceremony

Strong wind made it difficult for both players. Gasparyan had better start into the game, but she failed to finish off the first set, despite quickly taking the lead 2-0 and being 5-3 games up serving for the set. Montenegrin player needed time to adapt to the conditions and she managed to grab the first set with a four games winning streak.

"It was extremely difficult match. Margarita was playing better than me in the beginning. Strong wind made it difficult on serve, changed the direction of the balls. I really wanted to win this one. Despite not ideal start into the game, I stayed calm, tried not to show negative emotions," Danka Kovinić described her final match. Second set was as close as the first one. Kovinić managed to break her opponent in the eighth game to take the lead 5-3 in the set and serve for the match with the wind in her back. Together with the trophy, winner received prize money as high as 15 200 USD. "When it was 3-4 in second set and she was serving, I said to myself, come on Danka, you have to break her now. Then you will serve with the wind and have a good chance to finish the match," claimed Kovinić in her post match interview on the centre court.

Previous winners:

EMPIRE Slovak Open 2015 singles winner Danka Kovinic with the Tournament Director Miroslav Hlavna:

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EMPIRE Slovak Open 2015 doubles winners Beygelzimer & Gasparyan (from the left) with the Deputy Director Tomas Boleman & Tournament Manager Oto Majba: