August 21, 2013 at 3:03 p.m.
Beach tennis all set for action
Bermuda’s sixth international beach tennis tournament will this weekend serve up a volley of entertainment.
Teams from Brazil, Italy, the USA and France will add a touch of international glamour to the two-day event, which runs over Saturday and Sunday.
Organiser Tony Brannon said: “Brazil will have the largest contingent this year, overtaking Italy for the first time.
“And we will have a very strong field in the ladies’ professional division, with very good teams from Brazil, Italy and the US.”
Among the favourites are Italian Alex Mingozzi, who has won the men’s division in Bermuda three times and who recently claimed a major US title. Local favourites at the Horseshoe Beach event include Bermuda-based doubles team Sam Butler, also a noted player of conventional tennis, and playing partner David Jenkins.
Mr Brannon said: “Sunday will be a great day for spectators because that’s when the finals are.”
There will also be an amateur division for men, ladies and mixed doubles, with prizes on offer for the winning players.
Watch the action
And on Sunday morning, youngsters will get the chance to try out the fast-growing sport and meet some of the stars.
Mr Brannon said: “The weather is supposed to be really good this weekend, which is great because we’ve had a couple of years where there have been close calls with tropical storms.
“We are really looking forward to it being a good couple of days.”
He added: “My ultimate goal is to find a permanent home for beach tennis and we actually have plans for this at Horseshoe Beach.”
Mr Brannon brought the tournament, which is held under International Tennis Federation rules, to Bermuda a year after it took off in the Caribbean island of Aruba.
But he said hotels and government in Aruba had backed the new sport, leading to around 500 regular players in Aruba and an annual international tournament, which attracts 4-500 players a year.
Mr Brannon said: “We could do the same here —– but it needs to be on a beach and next to a beach bar and with some sort of food service.”
The event runs from 10am to around 6pm both days and entry is free. Catering will be provided by the Horseshoe Beach café concession.
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