Top tennis event returning to Welti Centre

Shrewsbury's Welti Tennis and Leisure Centre has been handed a 75,000 dollar LTA event next year after the success of this year's competition.

The plush facility in Sundorne hosted the competition, the fourth biggest event on the women's circuit and the biggest indoor tournament in the country.

Italian Roberta Vinci came away with first place with a 7-5 7-5 win over Estonia's Maret Ani yesterday.

"To get the press and TV coverage that we did for a tennis event in Shropshire was fantastic," said club director Stephen Welti.

"There was a buzz around the club and we have been asked to hold the event again next year after a glowing report from the International Tennis Federation.

"We had erected 250 tiered seats in the hope that there would be a Brit in the final.

"We were a little disappointed to only get 150 in the end, but 1,000 people came over the week, which was good.

"We would like to thank all of the ball boys from the local schools, all of the staff who worked very hard and Furrows Coaches for shuttling the players around free of charge."

The Welti Centre, which has previously housed a Men's ATP 25,000 dollar competition in 2007, is now considering the possibility of making the step up to a 100,000 dollar event.

"Maybe we have peaked," added Welti. "We'd have to make some serious changes to make the step up - but if we were asked we would certainly look into it."