The Shrewsbury Club all set to host County Championships

Pictured: Members of Shropshire’s nine and under team, seen here with Nikki Hoy, which competed at Edgbaston Priory in the County Cup last weekend, will be taking part in the County Championships at The Shrewsbury Club.

 

Up and coming tennis aces from around Shropshire are looking forward to taking part in the annual County Championships which start here at The Shrewsbury Club this weekend. The popular tournament, previously known as the County Closed, begins on Sunday. It is the highlight of Shropshire’s junior tennis calendar.

The action will continue throughout next week on the club’s newly-resurfaced indoor courts ahead of finals day and the presentation ceremony on Saturday, September 1. Entries are invited from players, both boys and girls, to compete from eight and under right up to 18 and under in a host of singles and doubles events. An adult event, which is equally eagerly awaited by competing players, will also be included in a busy schedule.

Bob Kerr, the chairman of Tennis Shropshire, said nearly 170 players entered last year’s County Championships, which made it the best supported tournament for many years.

He added: “Last year’s Championships were a tremendous success and went a long way to contributing to the continued pride we have in this event.

"Our main aim as a county association is to raise participation levels and ensure more people are playing tennis more often. 

"To that end, we want to use the Championships to enable every junior in the county, regardless of ability, to come along and have an enjoyable time. 

"We have added some more smaller tournaments in the lead up to this competition - 'The Road to the County Championships’ - which have proved popular in giving young players an opportunity to play in good, fun and competitive events.”  

Youngsters have taken part over the last month in enjoyable tournaments at Ludlow Castle Tennis Club, Ellesmere College, Shrewsbury Lawn Tennis Club and Telford Tennis Centre to help them prepare for the excitement of competing in the County Championships against other talented players from across Shropshire.

Ahead of the start of the County Championships, which are organised in conjunction with inspire2coach and sponsored by Deloitte, The Shrewsbury Club will host a tennis festival for all ages, including fun tournaments aimed at new players and starter level competitors from 9.30am on Saturday. Part of the festival will also include the first Shropshire Junior Club Team Championship, where all clubs from across the county are invited to send junior teams of any age to take part.

For more information and details on how to enter the County Championships, contact Simon Haddleton at [email protected] or call him on 07748 654521.