Local company serves up support as professional tennis returns to Shrewsbury next month
20th October 2017
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Professional tennis makes an eagerly-awaited return to Shropshire next month - with a local company as key event sponsor for the first time.
The Aegon GB Pro-Series tournament, a $25,000 women’s event, will take place at The Shrewsbury Club between November 6 and 11.
It will be held in association with Morris & Co Homes, an established Shrewsbury-based company which builds beautifully designed and crafted homes in and around Shropshire.
Alvin Ward, left, the general manager of The Shrewsbury Club, with Robin Morris, the chairman of Morris & Co Homes.
Its latest exclusive development is 11 four and five-bedroom houses at Beaufort Ridge on The Mount in Shrewsbury.
Next month’s event will be the last tournament to carry the Aegon name as their nine-year partnership as lead sponsors of the Lawn Tennis Association shortly draws to a close - but bosses at The Shrewsbury Club are delighted that Pro-Series tennis tournaments will continue to be held at the club.
The Sundorne Road venue, which is currently undergoing an exciting £1.25 million refurbishment programme, has already received dates to host both men’s and women’s $25,000 events in 2018.
Dave Courteen, the managing director of The Shrewsbury Club, said: “After nine years as lead sponsors of British tennis, this will be the last Aegon tournament held in the UK, so we’re planning to give them a really good send off after the great support they have given to tennis in this country.
“But we are pleased that the professional tennis tournaments will continue to be held at The Shrewsbury Club, which I know will be very popular news for the many local tennis fans who support the events so well. The tournaments continue to grow more and more popular each year and are very well regarded by players on the International Tennis Federation circuit.”
He added: "We are delighted that Morris & Co Homes will now also be sponsoring the event. It’s fantastic to have attracted the support of a prestigious local company. Chairman Robin Morris is a member at The Shrewsbury Club and we enjoy an excellent relationship with the firm.
“We are pleased to announce that next month’s tournament will be a higher value one - last year’s women’s event was a $10,000 tournament as opposed to a $25,000 this time - so that will help attract a better quality of players.”
Many players who have gone on to become world stars, including Angelique Kerber, Karolina Pliskova, Roberta Vinci and Sabine Lisicki, have graced The Shrewsbury Club’s indoor courts in the past.
Current British aces Johanna Konta and Heather Watson have also entertained Shrewsbury crowds in previous tournaments.
