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Liverpool International
Tennis Tournament 2017
Photographs by Patrick Trollope.
MARCUS Willis was the toast of
Merseyside in 2016 after the Brit beat Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis to earn a
Centre Court showdown with Roger Federer at Wimbledon, then he refused a ₤15,000
windfall from the Sun newspaper, because he is a Liverpool FC fan! That
newspaper is reviled throughout Merseyside; by both Everton and Liverpool fans
alike.
Now in 2017, Merseyside's sports fans will get their chance to pay tribute to
Willis when he appears at the Liverpool Hope International Tennis Tournament, at
Liverpool Cricket Club, from 15 June to 18 June 2017.
Liverpool Hope International Tournament director Anders Borg says:-
"Marcus is a fantastic person and a great player in particular on grass and we
very much look forward to have him in Liverpool. I am sure we will organise a
trip to Anfield for him during his stay in the City."
Marcus, a lifelong Liverpool fan, said:- "This is my 1st year competing in
Liverpool, but after my dream run at Wimbledon, in 2016, I believe Liverpool is
the perfect place to kick off my 2017 grass court season. I have heard nothing
but great things about the organisation and the way Anders runs things. I am
very excited as a Liverpool fan to make my professional debut in Liverpool in
front of world class sporting fans."
The Liverpool Hope International Tennis Tournament is in its 16th year and has
grown into the longest running and it is now the largest tennis exhibition in
Europe; featuring ATP and WTA players warming up for Wimbledon in addition to
the ever popular legends of tennis.
Liverpool Hope University has been the headline sponsor for 4 years and
Professor Mehmet Dorak, Head of the School of Health Sciences at Liverpool Hope
University said:- "We are excited to be title sponsors of the Liverpool
International Tennis Tournament in what is a seminal year for Sports and Health
Sciences at Liverpool Hope University. We have completed our new ₤14.47 million
Sports and Health Science building, which brings both disciplines under one roof
and offers our students and researchers easy access to top facilities. We are
also home to an NHS-approved clinical trial into ’Exercise, Nutrition and
Ageing’, and the UK’s largest ‘Tennis, Ageing, and Health’ study. Our tennis
study has been shortlisted for an award by the European College of Sport
Science, the largest Sport and Exercise Science Congress in Europe. This summer
we will be announcing some initial findings from the tennis study, which we hope
will begin to quantify the long-term benefits of playing the sport. It is an
exciting time for Sports and Health Sciences at Liverpool Hope."
Also playing in this year's International will be last year’s winner, Damir
Dzumhur, who has had a great year on the circuit having beaten players like Stan
Wawrin ka and Rafael Nadal.
Anders Borg, who is the Director of Northern Vision, the group who run the
Tournament said:- "Damir is an incredibly talented player and has proven
on his day he can beat anyone. Damir has developed a great relationship with
Liverpool and is very pleased to prepare for the grass court season in the North
West."
Dzumhur added:- "I have loved coming to play in Liverpool the past few
years. I have had a lot of fun and have been able to get great time on the grass
ahead of Wimbledon. The organisation is 1st class and the crowd are so
knowledgeable and fun to play in front of. I am looking forward to returning in
2017."
Former Liverpool Champion Ana Bogdan leads the women’s field in addition to up
and coming Natalya Vikhlyantseva who is only 19 and already ranked 75 in the
world. According to experts she a very exciting future ahead of her.
The legends field is led by former world number 8 Guillermo Canas of Argentina
and former Liverpool finalist Robert Kendrick of USA.
At the launch event, on 27 April 2017, at Liverpool One's Hilton Hotel, the 2017
Ambassadors and representatives from the charities this years Tournament will be
supporting where:- Jamie Burdekin Bronze medallist Rio Olympics wheelchair
tennis, MD Gary Millar, MD Bill Addy, Councillor Kennedy, Ian Snodin Everton FC
Legend, along with representatives of Royal Liverpool Hospital, The
Clatterbridge Cancer Center, and Leadership Through Sport.
It is worth adding that the event has collected more than ₤250,000 towards local
charities over the years.
To buy tickets to this years event go to:-
LiverpoolTennis.Co.UK/Event-Guide/Tickets
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