More than 80 players will take to the courts of Emu Point Tennis Club for the Albany Open this weekend

The annual Albany Open tennis tournament will feature more than 80 players from across the region at Emu Point Tennis Club this weekend.

In all, 86 players from Albany, Denmark, Lake Grace, Merredin, Perth, Katanning, Tenterden and Kendenup will hit the courts in the two-day competition, with entry numbers already up on last year.

Last year 70 players took part in the competition but this year there have already been 50 nominations for the men’s and women’s doubles and 36 entrants in the mixed doubles for this year’s tournament.

Women and men’s A-grade and B-grade doubles will be played on Saturday before mixed doubles A-grade and B-grade will be contested on Sunday.

Round robin games will be played for 25 minutes in duration with teams ranked and the finalists determined by total games won across the day.

Tournament chair Greg Cook said the event was shaping up to be a good one.

“I am very much looking forward to both playing in and co-ordinating the 2022 Albany Open,” he said.

“At the tournament I am expecting to see many games of high-quality tennis.

“The Pugh sisters (Alexandra Riggall and Clare King) will be aiming to win the A-grade women’s doubles for the fifth consecutive year and the A-grade mixed doubles on Sunday looks a particularly strong field.

“The weekend is a showcase of the considerable tennis talent in the Great Southern and gives many players the opportunity to enjoy the networking and camaraderie that playing sport brings.

“I am most excited about seeing players enjoy the spirit of competition while enjoying a great sport and meeting players from different parts of the State.

“The quality of tennis played and the remarkable skill of some of the players is also a highlight of the tournament.”

Father-son combination Drew and Brock Dawson claimed the men’s A-grade doubles title last year while Riggall and Geoff Stade prevailed in a tight contest in the mixed A-grade doubles.

More than $2500 in prize money is on offer at the tournament.