The Shrewsbury Club to host new $100,000 World Tennis Tour women’s tournament in October
The Shrewsbury Club will host a prestigious $100,000 women’s tennis tournament later this year as part of the LTA’s Performance Competitions Calendar.
The new International Tennis Federation World Tennis Tour event – expected to feature leading British and international stars – will be held at the Sundorne Road venue’s indoor courts in October.
The club has established an impressive reputation for staging tournaments, most recently a World Tennis Tour men’s $25,000 tournament in February, which was won by rising British star Alastair Gray.
Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, said it was great news for Shropshire that the club has been selected by the LTA to host the new $100,000 women’s event.
He said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by the LTA to stage this prestigious event in October.
“As this is a $100,000 event, it will be the most high-profile tournament we have hosted.
“I would expect the tournament to feature players ranked in the world’s top 100, players that automatically make the main draw of Grand Slams.
“It will be an excellent opportunity for British players to compete at home outside the grass court season alongside leading international players.
“It will be an exciting chance for local tennis fans to watch world class tennis here in Shropshire.”
Impressive feedback
He added: “We are proud to have been selected as hosts and it’s a reflection of the impressive feedback we receive for the events held at The Shrewsbury Club.
“They are well supported by local people in terms of spectator numbers and also the local business community.
“We hope that will continue now that we have been given such a high-profile event in October.
“There will be opportunities for local businesses to get involved in the tournament to raise their profile and draw in business to the region. It is really important to us that we maximise the benefits for the local area.
“There’s lots of exciting plans in place to make this event the best possible tournament, so there is much to look forward to.”
October’s Shrewsbury event will join the established Surbiton Trophy and Ilkley Trophy grass court tournaments in May and June as part of the LTA’s Performance Competitions Calendar.
There will be further $25,000 ITF tournaments held around the country in July and August.
Similar events earlier this year resulted in a number of British players significantly climbing the world rankings following impressive performances.
The LTA Performance Competitions Calendar is designed to provide significantly enhanced opportunities for British players at each age and stage of the player pathway.
Pictured: Sonay Kartal, left, and Freya Christie at The Shrewsbury Club before the UK Pro League women’s final last November. Picture: Richard Dawson photography.
