Tennis Manitoba serves Canada Day Cup

Manitoba is set to welcome the world on the tennis courts this week.

From July 1-5, Tennis Manitoba and Tennis Canada are hosting its very first Masters 100 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament. This Canada Day Cup will be a singles and doubles tournament for both men’s and women’s in West St. Paul at the National Bank Tennis Manitoba Hub.

Shirley Shahinfar, the tournament’s director, explained bringing this specific tournament to our beloved province has been years in the making.

“This was something we wanted to bring a few years back but we just didn’t have the capacity at that time,” she said.

“I know there’s people in the city that are avid tennis players and they really wanted this kind of event to be here.”

With this being the first time an ITF World Tennis Masters Tour tournament of this kind has made a pit stop in the Keystone province, it will only hold men’s and women’s singles and doubles, with mixed doubles hopefully added in the future.

The beauty of this kind of tournament, and being at the MT100 level, is that you don’t need to be ranked.

“A lot of people have been wondering whether they’re good enough to play but it’s really about the experience,” Shahinfar explained. “MT100 is the entry level of master’s tournaments. It’s more geared for players that are wanting to test the waters in this kind of environment.”

The idea is that players can come to experience both aspects of the game — the competitive nature and fun of the sport.

“There are some players that have entered MT100/200 tournaments in the past but there’s also players that have played in tournaments here locally and want to try that next level,” she said.

After participating in this tournament, players may receive rankings based on their outcome — MT100 equals 100 points — allowing them to advance to higher master levels if desired. But whether they want to rank up or simply just hit a ball around with a pal, both sides are welcomed.

This tournament is different due to the fact that it is age grouped. With different age divisions starting at age 30 and climbing to age 80, players will be grouped in their age division.

“When Tennis Manitoba runs tournaments, it’s by scale level… We’re pretty proud of [the ITF] coming to Winnipeg,” she said.

It provides opportunities for those to compete against players in a similar age and skill level. And with this being an international event, it won’t be limited to Manitobans.

“We’re having a lot of our-of-towners come in. Most of them are Canadian. We do have some that looks to be coming from Pakistan. It is open to all international players.”

While Manitoba is welcoming players from across the globe, there will be some recognizable local names. Winnipegger Peter Otto — the head pro at Kildonan Tennis Club and Winnipeg Winter Club who has coached many successful athletes — as well as 71-year-old Terry Tuharsky from Moose Jaw, Sask., are just two examples.

And even though this is a beginner level tournament, it will still be run by Tennis Canada officials with the courts and equipment following regulation.

The tournament currently has 93 entries — 58 singles and 35 doubles — with majority of the players in the men’s category.

“Just looking at the people I know, these are really a great group of people to come watch,” Shahinfar remarked.

Each division will have an individual or team advance, with the finals being hold on July 4 and 5.

“If they lose their first round, they go into a bonus round. They’re guaranteed two matches,” she explained, where each age division will trickle down to the final spots.

The winners will not only receive bragging rights, but a memorable plaque to commemorate their win.

“We’ve focused on making it very sociable. (It’s) not just about tennis, it’s about player experience,” Shahinfar said.

“We’re focusing on showcasing Winnipeg.”

sports@freepress.mb.ca