ADVERT I S EMENT F EATURE
LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATES 20th ANNIVERSARY J U N E 1 6 - 1 8
I t was the year when Lleyton Hewitt won Wimbledon and Venus Williams became world No 1 for the first time, but 2002 has additional significance for tennis lovers in the north-west of England: it was the year when the Liverpool International was held for the first time. This year’s tournament, celebrating the event’s 20th anniversary, will take place from June 16-18. The Liverpool International has become an established part of the grass-court season, offering players the chance to gain experience on the surface in the build-up to Wimbledon and spectators the opportunity to see some of the sport’s biggest names in action. Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Marat Safin, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, John McEnroe and Mansour Bahrami are just some of the names who have put Liverpool on the tennis map.
Guinness Book of Records, having held the world’s largest tennis lesson when 803 youngsters took part in 2015. “For us it’s all about engaging with kids and the local community to try to get as many as possible involved with the great sport of tennis,” Borg said. “Tennis is proven to be the sport that keeps you alive the longest. For kids and grown-ups, tennis helps combat obesity and mental health issues. We feel our corporate social responsibility programme is unique. We have some fantastic sponsors and partners.” Northern Vision also organises five weeks of International Tennis Federation under-18 and Tennis Europe under-14 events in Liverpool throughout the year. The quality of the entry lists for those events is evidence of what a popular destination Liverpool is. Guess who won her first ITF event in Liverpool at the age of 13? None other than Emma Raducanu.
Northern Vision UK’s Anders Borg, the event’s long-standing tournament director, explained how it came to Liverpool. “We were looking for a site in England where we could bring tennis out to the people and take it a little bit out of its snobbish environment,” he said. “We came down to two public parks - Hampstead Heath in London or Calderstones Park in Liverpool. We decided on Calderstones Park. I have to admit most of my friends thought I was crazy, but I have never regretted that decision one moment. Twenty years later we are still here.” Every year the Liverpool International introduces thousands of youngsters to tennis through its junior programme. Free mini-tennis lessons are offered at promotional spots in the city centre and there are designated “kids’ days” at the tournament itself. The Liverpool International actually has a place in the
T I CKE T S FOR TH I S YEAR ’ S TOURNAMENT ARE AVA I L ABLE FROM WWW. L I V E RPOOLT E NN I S . CO . UK
Vera Zvonareva, a former Wimbledon finalist, competing at the Liverpool International
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