Tennis has been serving it up in a big way this year to become one of the hottest sports across the country.
Organizers believe interest will be high for the Vancouver Island National Bank International Tennis Federation Under-18 tournament announced Monday to take place Oct. 12-18 at the Panorama Recreation Centre.
With the all-Canadian semifinal in the Rogers Cup over the weekend, and sa国际传媒鈥檚 breathless run to the 2013 Davis Cup semifinals, names such as Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil seem to be on the tip of every Canadian sports fans鈥� tongue these days.
Raonic this week became the first Canadian men鈥檚 singles player to be ranked in the world top-10. It鈥檚 the future Raonics and Pospisils who will be on ample display in the junior tournament to take place at Panorama.
鈥淭ennis has terrific momentum going for it across sa国际传媒 and this is going to be an exciting week for us with many of the top young players in the country coming through to give the Island鈥檚 tennis enthusiasts a chance to see the future of Canadian tennis live,鈥� said Eric Knoester, tennis co-ordinator at Panorama.
鈥淭ennis sa国际传媒 has put a lot of resources into support and coaching. We鈥檙e starting to see the payoff with our Davis Cup team making the semifinals and young Canadian players Eugenie Bouchard and Filip Peliwo winning the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 Wimbledon junior singles titles in 2012.鈥�
The ITF National Bank Vancouver Island U-18 event will feature both singles and doubles. Both boys and girls singles will feature 32-player main draws and 32-player qualifying rounds.
鈥淭his is all part of Tennis sa国际传媒鈥檚 long-term development strategy,鈥� said Robert Bettauer of Victoria, who provided the colour commentary over the weekend for Sportsnet鈥檚 coverage of the Rogers Cup and will do the same when sa国际传媒 plays Serbia in the Davis Cup semifinals Sept. 13-15 in Belgrade.
鈥淭hese are big steps up for tennis in sa国际传媒. That鈥檚 been motivating young people across the country at all levels. It鈥檚 that spillover we will be witnessing at Panorama in October.鈥�
The ITF U-18 is being hosted by Panorama in partnership with Tennis sa国际传媒, Tennis sa国际传媒 and the South Island Tennis Association.
Bettauer, former Canadian Olympic tennis team head coach and world-level player, is also CEO of the Pacific Institute for Sports Excellence located on the Camosun Interurban campus. It has been one of his goals to elevate from events such as the ITF U-18 tournament to hosting a Davis Cup or Federation Cup tie at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. He said the facility, with its 7,006-seat bowl, would make for an excellent tennis venue and he has been lobbying Tennis sa国际传媒.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not unrealistic that it will happen over the next few years,鈥� he said.
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