W100 Event Wins LTA Performance Competition of the Year Award
Pictured: Dave Courteen, the managing director of The Shrewsbury Club, holding the LTA’s Performance Competition of the Year Award, with Amy Dannatt, the winner of the LTA’s Rising Star Award, and Simon Haddleton, The Shrewsbury Club’s director of tennis.
There was double joy for The Shrewsbury Club at the LTA Tennis Awards in London as we celebrated winning two top national awards.
The Budgen Motors W100 we hosted last November claimed the Performance Competition of the Year Award whilst Amy Dannatt, a popular member of our coaching team, won the Rising Star Award.
It’s an outstanding success story for our club and for Shropshire tennis, with this year’s national winners selected from more than 2,200 nominations in England, Scotland and Wales across a number of categories. Amy and The Shrewsbury Club are the county’s first-ever winners of national LTA Tennis Awards.
LTA president Sandi Procter hosted Tuesday’s ceremony at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, which was presented by Leon Smith, the captain of Great Britain’s Davis Cup team. The various awards were presented to the winners by Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Gloucester, along with Judy Dalton, Natasha Kaplinsky, Mervyn King, Sir Trevor McDonald and Judy Murray. The award winners and those shortlisted then headed to nearby Wimbledon to spend an enjoyable day on Centre Court.
Dave Courteen, our managing director, collected the Performance Competition of the Year award on behalf of the team from Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England.
He said it is wonderful recognition for the club and added he’s delighted that Amy was deservedly chosen as a national winner.
“We are so proud of Amy for all she has achieved,” said Dave. “To see her presented with such a prestigious national award was an extremely special moment.
He added: “I am also so pleased for our team and all the volunteers and sponsors who contributed to the success of last November’s ITF World Tennis event.
“It was the biggest tournament we have staged at The Shrewsbury Club and the feedback we received from the LTA, officials, players and spectators was excellent.
“We are excited to be hosting the Budgen Motors W100 once again in October this year, and want to make it an even bigger and better event this time.
“We were the only club in the country to be nominated for, and to win, two awards, so it is a real achievement."
Fiona Jones, the chair of Tennis Shropshire, said: “We have had Shropshire winners shortlisted for national awards before, but it’s the first time we have had national winners.
"To have two of them announced on the same day is fabulous and I am absolutely delighted as they are both very deserving winners.
“I was hopeful in both categories ahead of the ceremony, but nothing is certain until you hear the results.
“I am delighted for Dave and all of the staff at The Shrewsbury Club who put in such hard work, as well as all the volunteers and tournament sponsors from across the county, who help make the W100 tournament possible.
“It’s testament to all of the effort and hard work that goes into making the event such a success in bringing world class tennis to Shropshire."
Shropshire’s former LTA president Cathie Sabin was instrumental in the launch of the LTA Tennis Awards in 2015, which highlight and reward the achievements of people, clubs and schools around the country.