British tennis stars set to play in next month’s Shrewsbury W100 tournament

Pictured: British star Jodie Burrage, pictured playing at The Shrewsbury Club last year, is now ranked in the world’s top 100. Picture: Richard Dawson Photography.

Six of the players currently in the top 10 of the British women’s rankings have entered next month’s ITF World Tennis Tour tournament here at The Shrewsbury Club. A number of top international players also feature on a strong acceptance list for the Budgen Motors W100 event, which takes place between October 15-22. The British challenge is set to be led by Jodie Burrage, currently ranked in the world’s top 100, while fellow Brit top 10 players Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, Lily Miyazaki, Sonay Kartal and Katie Swan also feature on the initial acceptance list as world class tennis returns to Shropshire.

The Shrewsbury event, which will be played on our indoor courts, is the biggest women’s tennis tournament, outside of the grass court season, to be played in the UK this year. Viktorija Golubic, a doubles silver medallist playing alongside Belinda Bencic at the last Olympics, and a member of the Switzerland team crowned Billie Jean King Cup champions in Glasgow last November, is set to play in Shrewsbury. Currently just outside the world’s top 100, Golubic was ranked as high as 35 last year and reached the Wimbledon singles quarter-finals in 2021.

The acceptance list also includes French player Oceane Dodin, who was Shrewsbury champion in both 2014 and 2015, as well as rising German star Eva Lys, runner-up in last year’s Shrewsbury final to Marketa Vondrousova, who went on to win Wimbledon just eight months after impressing Shropshire tennis fans.

Another player to catch the eye is Kaia Kanepi, an Estonian player who has built a reputation for knocking out seeds in the Grand Slams, something she has achieved 19 times in her career. Her career high ranking is 15 in the world and she has reached the quarter-finals in seven Grand Slam events.

Dave Courteen, the Club’s managing director, said: “It’s a really exciting line up of established players and also some great young players that have every chance of becoming stars of the future.

“We are pleased that so many British players have entered. As it stands, Jodie Burrage is at the top of the acceptance list in terms of overall ranking and it would be great to have a British number one seed in Shrewsbury.

“This list is the first stage of acceptances and, as always with tournaments, there is the possibility of withdrawals. We are mindful that some higher ranked WTA events will be played at the same time in Europe, until players actually arrive at The Shrewsbury Club, you can never be totally certain who is going to play, but we are looking forward to welcoming a high-quality field of top tennis players from around the world.

“Ticket sales are very encouraging, well up on last year at the same stage, and it will be another wonderful week of world class tennis right here in Shropshire.”

The prestigious tournament is part of the LTA’s Performance Competitions Calendar, which is designed to provide British players with the chance to develop on home soil through more meaningful playing opportunities, giving all players the widest possible number of competitive matches on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

Ticket prices, which include a 40-page tournament programme, start from £7.50, with finals day tickets to enjoy both the singles and doubles finals on Sunday, October 22 priced £19.50.

A tournament pass to watch all matches throughout the week from court-side stands is available for £59.