DUNFERMLINE Tennis Club are set to host one of its most popular events this month with its Junior Open for 2023.

Competitions in boys and girls singles for under-eights up to under-18s, as well as doubles events in the latter age group, and at under-14s, will be held at the Bothwell Street club from Sunday July 9 to Saturday July 15.

In what has already been a busy start to the year, which has included their first open day of the year in April (pictured above), and visits to secondary schools, the club will also be hosting several tennis camps over the course of the summer, beginning on Monday (July 3).

The Junior Open will run for the first time since 2019, and head coach, Alan Russell, revealed that some of their junior sides have enjoyed league success this year, with the men’s first team set to play Colinton in a play-off for a place in the East of Scotland Men’s League, Division One.

“Our junior teams have done well. Our mixed under-eights, under-10 mixed, and boys under-12s, all won their leagues,” he said.

“For the girls under-12s, our aim was to get a team together. They came together and did very well.

“The Dunfermline Junior Open hasn’t run since 2019, and we’ve got players from eight and under up to 18 and under taking part, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Last year, Alan returned to the club as head coach and, earlier this year, was joined by his son, Mike, a lifelong Dunfermline who is leading their junior programme.

The duo’s aim was to increase participation and Alan revealed that numbers attending coaching sessions are up.

Following Mike’s appointment to the club, Alan said: “Some of the big things we’re planning to do is we’re talking about making sure prices are kept affordable, and tennis is affordable for everybody. Especially in this climate, we must make sure that tennis is accessible, affordable and inclusive.

“The biggest goals are increased participation, increased membership, and make sure we give great service to the people that are coming. There is huge demand for tennis out there, even when things are tight, people want to play tennis, so we’ve got to make sure that what we do gives them what they want, and they get that great customer care.”

For more information about the club, you can find them on Facebook.