Country’s leading tennis players including Harshan Godamanna who has an ATP world ranking of 931, will be featuring in this year’s Singhalese Sports Club (SSC) Open senior events that will begin over the weekend at the club clay courts in Colombo.

Rajeev Rajapakse, Sankha Atukorale, Guyanga Weerasekera, Artha Hewacottege, all SL national representatives, and defending champion Zaw Zaw Latt, Michael Siyaguna and Amresh Jayawickrema are the other leading players who will be taking part.

Amritha Muttiah is expected to successfully defend the women’s singles title.

In the initial stage of the tournament, hampered severely by intermittent rains, the junior main draws are yet to begin after four days of qualifying matches.

The entries were closed on Tuesday (23) for the open senior events —women’s and men’s open singles and doubles and mixed doubles— before the draws, fixed for tomorrow (25).

Aruna Seneviratne is the Tournament Director of this SLTA ‘A’ grade open competition. The SLTA Nationals (both junior and senior) and the Colombo Championships, organised by the SLTA Playing Section, are the other two ‘A’ grade open ranking tournaments held during a calendar year in the domestic tennis circuit. Ishara Seneviratne is the Tournament Referee.