With the event staged every October long weekend, 307 entrants from all over NSW converged on the town to take part in a series of round robins in semi-professional tournaments sanctioned by Tennis Australia. Points acquired through the matches go towards each player’s ranking with Tennis Australia.

The Junior Tour (JT) joined the schedule two years ago and has been pumping up the numbers ever since, according to Ruth Johnson, spokesperson for Gloucester Tennis. This year it consisted over 180 juniors, who have the opportunity to play in several hundred tournaments across the country. The JT circuit provides a competitive pathway for aspiring tennis players, offering Australian Ranking points across five levels of platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and white in the Under 12s, Under 14s, Under 16s age groups (some also include the Under 18s). 

Alongside the JT events, last weekend’s matches included the AMT semi-professional tournaments introduced by Tennis Australia in 2006 to create quality match and transitional opportunities for post junior athletes. The tiered circuit offers prize money for open events.

Gloucester Open also caters for B grade and C grade players, as well as social matches including parents and their children. 

“It’s all round robins. Everybody gets to play,” Johnson said, estimating the popular weekend had been running for more than 40 years.

With a BBQ breakfast available to entrants daily, 604 matches were played over the course of the three day weekend. Johnson said that the tournament brings in “at least $250,000” to the town. Local players for this year included Brett Ashton, Emma Ashton, Sam Ashton, Scott White, Troy Richards, Lleyton Richards, Shania Richards. With the tournament still in competition by printing deadline, results will be available in next week’s edition of the Gloucester Advocate.