Robson to join the fun at Tarka

By arjones

TENNIS' fun factor will be emphasised when the AEGON Pro-Series comes to Barnstaple next week.

Fifty-four professional players from the women's game representing all parts of Europe — and, in one case, America — will battle it out for the $50,000 prize money on offer.

And their hosts at the Tarka Tennis Centre hope they will enjoy it so much they will want to return for next year's $75,000 event.

But it's not just the players who are being promised a good time.

While tennis fans can look forward to seeing players ranked as high as 116 in the world in action and rising British stars Laura Robson and Heather Watson, 400 schoolchildren will be invited in free on Wednesday to be given a taste for the sport.

Chris Gill, Tarka's director of tennis, said: "On Children's Day we will have KidsZone activity equipment on the outside courts, then we will be getting them in to watch some tennis.

"Hopefully it will be a bit of an event and the kids who come to Children's Day will then want to have a game of tennis."

Fifteen of the players on show are ranked in the world's top 200, compared to 11 in last year's Barnstaple Open, which was won at a canter by British number one Anne Keothavong.

"A lot of the same players are coming back and bringing new players with them," said Gill. "We want to build a reputation as a tournament players enjoy.

"The Lawn Tennis Association were very happy with last year. We had a great response from them about how we ran the tournament, the effort we put in and the way we created a brand for it — we made it an event for the area.

"The stands will be better than last year and there will be a bit more staging of the court — almost like you see at a football match with advertising boards around the outside. I'm looking forward to how it's going to look.

"I thought it was quite good last year but we need to take it forward.

"If we want to have bigger and better tournaments, it's important to stage it well for the supporters and the LTA.

"They have already given us a $75,000 tournament for next year and we want to build on that and get a men's tournament back."

Robson will remember her visit to Barnstaple last year. She may have been knocked out in the first round of the singles and doubles but her appearance ensured she received a senior world ranking for the first time, three months after winning junior Wimbledon. The 15-year-old returns as number 330 in the world.

Guernsey's Watson, the new junior US Open champion, is in a similar position to Robson a year on, making her way in the women's game at 17.

Robson will start in the qualifying round on Monday, while Watson has been given a wildcard into the main draw. They should attract the crowds in the same way Keothavong did last year.

Gill said: "People who came last year said if they had known it would be like that they would have told more about it.

"There were players you see at Wimbledon and people didn't believe that could happen in Barnstaple."

Keothavong probably has too high a ranking to consider defending her title even if she hadn't been ruled out by a knee injury.

Elena Baltacha and Katie O'Brien, who have both just broken into the top 100, appeared last year but are otherwise engaged this time — Baltacha at a family wedding and O'Brien at a tournament in Japan.

British number four Melanie South is the leading home player in the draw. Cornwall's Jade Curtis also features.

Russia's world number 116 Vitalia Diatchenko will be the top seed.

Tickets are available from the tournament website.

Play starts with the qualifying round at 10am on Monday. The first round of the main draw will begin on Tuesday.

Evening matches will be scheduled in second round and quarter-finals, from 5.30pm next Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9.

The semi-finals will be played on Saturday week, with the singles and doubles finals on Sunday week, starting at 12.30pm.