Under its new President Maxwell de Silva and his committee, the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) entered a busy week this time with a host of tournaments are on. That was when international tennis fraternity shifted its attention from French Open to the next Grand Slam of the year, the Wimbledon that began last Monday (22) in England. There were four vital tennis competitions in the Colombo-based tennis in Sri Lanka, while three are still being held.

Out of those four, one of the most attractive junior competitions held away from the heart of Colombo, the Mount Lavinia Young Members’ Christian Association (YMCA) Junior Tennis Tournament 2009 was over last Sunday (21) with its awards ceremony held at the YMCA premises.

Meanwhile the only ‘A’ Grade tennis tournament held outside the SLTA, the SSC (Singhalese Sports Club) Open 2009 began at the four club clay courts at Maitland Place, Colombo 7, with its qualifying rounds last weekend. The event is renowned for its meticulous organising and lucrative prize money for its winners –easily the highest in a local tennis tournament.

But the most important of them all will be the 2nd Sri Lankan Open Wheelchair Tennis Tournament that began last Friday (26) at the SLTA. It is to be concluded today (28).

By that time, the 2009 Inter-school Tennis Tournament, conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Tennis Association (SLSTA), will be on at the SLTA hard courts. That event is held from June 8.

Last week, some leading Colombo schools were to complain on improper and unlawful acts of some individuals attached the organising committee of this ongoing Inter-school Tennis Tourney.

At least three Colombo schools were expected to challenge the final result of the Boys’ Under-17 segment of the tourney where Ananda College beat Royal College 3-2 in the event’s final. The schools were to make complaints through their Principals to L.K. Jayaweera, Director, Sports Ministry. D.S. Senanayake and St. Peter’s College were the losing semi-finalists of the Boys’ Under-17 age group this year.

Meanwhile in another boys’ segment that is already over, Under-15, St. Peter’s beat Ananda in the final. Royal and S. Thomas’, Mt. Lavinia, were the losing semi-finalists.

There was a host of controversies last year too in this main annual inter-school tennis competition that is noticeably dominated by leading Colombo schools.

Shankari Thayakaran and Thuruna Eshwarage won the plum titles, Boys and Girls singles Under-16, in this year’s YMCA Junior Tennis Tournament 2009 that ended last Saturday (June 20) at the YMCA clay courts at Mount Lavinia. The event began on June 8 and some matches were held at the Mount Lavinia S. Thomas’ College courts too.

The Tournament Director was Nihal Panangala and the Tournament Secretary was Rekha Karunaratne. The Referee of this SLTA ratified tourney was (Ms) Ishara Seneviratne, an ITF White Badge umpire.

One of only three ‘A’ Grade open ranking annual tennis tournaments in Sri Lanka, the ‘SSC Open,’ began at the four club clay courts in Colombo. The tournament is scheduled to be over on July 11.

According to the organisers, there have been over 500 entries reported only for the junior events this year. The qualifying draws for those junior events were held over the last weekend.

All top ranked players in both women’s and men’s circuits including players like Harshana Godamanna and Amritha Muttiah, are participating this year. Zaw Latt and Muttiah won the plum singles titles in Men’s and Women’s respectively last year.

Aruna Seneviratne will be the Tournament Director while Seneviratne is the Tournament Referee in this SLTA ratified event.

Junior Under-10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 in both girls and boys, Open singles and doubles in women’s, men’s and mixed segments.

Bank of Ceylon, Demo, Excel Trading, HNB Assurance, Dialog, Ole, Fontera and 3G Sports, the local agents for Head sports products.

Sri Lanka’s Upali Rajakaruna is the strong favourite to win the 2nd Sri Lankan Open ITF-ratified wheelchair tennis tournament that began at SLTA, ending today.