Tennis players prepare for Hunstanton tour

This year’s annual Scott Dunn Hunstanton Lawn Tennis Tournament, supported by Kett Country Cottages and sanctioned by the Lawn Tennis Association, begins this weekend.

Starting at the Hunstanton Recreation Ground on Sunday, play will continue each day, through to all the finals on Saturday.

The competition has attracted just short of 1,000 individual players, competing in 40 different events.

This will be boosted by around another 150 juniors with the mini Gresham’s round-robin event for under-12s and under-10s commencing on the Wednesday.

Hunstanton's tournament has attracted players from eight-years-old through to some senior veterans, with some competitors in their 80s, from all over the country and also from abroad.

The standard ranges from those entering their first competition to very good county players.

There will be new names on the trophies of the two prestigious events this year, the men’s and the ladies open singles, as last year’s winners will not be defending their titles.

This year the top two seeds are Thomas Davenport, from Lincoln, and Holly Middleton, from Norwich, respectively.

It has been a nightmare for the organisers as all the effort and investment spent on improving the outfield, where an extra 28 courts will be erected, has been negated by the exceptionally hot and dry summer.

The recent rain has helped a little to soften the ground but it will still be hard work erecting the extra courts.

Having reached the end of the heatwave we will be praying for seven days of cooler but dry weather to get through the week.

If it rains, it will give the two referees, Ann Rowen, from Nottingham, and Kevin Folger, from Sheffield, extra headaches rescheduling matches in an already very tight schedule.

Each year the tournament supports a charity and last year it was The Purfleet Trust, raising £2,500 towards computers.

This year the competition is supporting Tim Daber, 60, who is doing a 60/60 sponsored walk from Sea Palling, 60 miles along the North Norfolk coastal footpath, over four days, to the tournament, in aid of The Cure Parkinsons Trust.

He starts on Saturday and should arrive at the tournament late on Tuesday afternoon.

The tournament welcomes visitors.

Come and watch some excellent tennis, browse the trade stalls and take refreshments in the restaurant and, if the weather is warm, partake of Hunstanton ice cream.

n Don’t miss Tuesday’s Lynn News for a picture spread from the tournament.