The Odlum Brown VanOpen tournament kicks off tomorrow in West Vancouver bringing with it some hot names in tennis.
First held in 2002, and held annually at Hollyburn Country Club every year since 2005, this year’s tournament boasts a particularly impressive array of both male and female players from around the world, each vying for a chunk of the $200,000 US in prize money. Many of those participating in this year’s event, which is dually sanctioned by Tennis Canada and the USTA Pro Circuit, have been ranked among the top 200 players in the world, something tournament chairman Floyd Hill said will make for some great matches.
“It’s going to be some great tennis. We’re talking about some very high level players that are better than 200th in the world,” he said. “When you think about the fact that anyone is 200th best at something, you got to say ‘well that’s pretty good.’ If you’re the 200th best lawyer in the world or car driver or airplane fighter pilot or whatever, you’re pretty prestigious.”
The Van Open was moved two weeks later than its normal date this year, resolving some former conflicts with other tournaments. As a result, the women’s field at this year’s tournament will feature the strongest line up in the event’s history, including names like Italy’s Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion who was once ranked No. 4 in the world. Her resume includes wins over players such as Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams.
“She is a great player and if you were to watch her play, she’s somebody who doesn’t quit playing. When she’s down she just works her tush off,” Hill explained.
Currently ranked No. 70, 22-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia will also be a highlight of the women’s division. Having once ranked at No. 47, Tomljanovic just this year trumped former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the first round of the 2015 Brisbane International.
Other big names in the women’s draw include Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko, Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain and Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, who at one point ranked No. 12 in the world and is currently ranked No. 95.
Over on the men’s side, Serbian Janko Tipsarevic will be one of this year’s highlights after being granted a wildcard entry into the main draw. Qualifying as a quarter finalist in both the 2011 and 2012 US Opens, the 31-year-old spent last year recovering from a foot injury and is eager to get back at working his way into the top 10.
“He’s a very colourful player,” said Hill “We’re very excited about having him.”
“The other notable wildcard that we gave was to Ernests Gulbis and he was number 10 one year ago and three months ago he was number 17 in the world.”
Locally, 26-year-old Philip Bester of North Vancouver will be competing in the qualifying matches this year. Bester was the first Canadian to ever make it to a junior Grand Slam final, finishing runner up in the 2006 Junior French Open. Hill said Bester is likely the highest ranked Canadian player in attendance.
West Vancouver teen Kyryll Kryvchun is also competing this year as well as 20-year-old Patrick Walker, originally from Coquitlam.
“I’m very excited to be playing in such a prestigious tournament, especially because it’s so close to home, and a lot of my family and friends can attend,” said Kryvchun in an email.
For Floyd Hill one of the best things about the VanOpen tournament is that it allows players to launch their careers while also growing the game of tennis itself.
“I think that’s how you grow. You have these tournaments where you start out in your backyard and then you play the club championships and you kind of roll up until you end up playing the Grand Slams,” he said, listing famous names in tennis such as Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard who have played in the Odlum Brown tournament in the past.
“You see them go on to greater things in the bigger tournaments and it’s great because it’s really growing the game of tennis and that’s what it’s all really about.”
A series of free qualifying matches will be taking place at Hollyburn Country Club until the end of Sunday with the main draw games beginning Monday.
Featuring both men’s and women’s singles and doubles, the first round men’s singles games begin on Monday which will require admission for spectators, which can be either purchased at the door or online at vanopen.com.
