Women in South Wales are being invited to get on court for Tennis Tuesday – part of a drive to encourage more female players.
Tennis Tuesday is part of a Britain-wide Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) initiative being trialled in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan by Tennis Wales.
It involves women- only group tennis classes on a Tuesday evening in parks and clubs.
Each session has a tactical theme and involves practice drills and some relaxed competition.
Sessions are bookable online each week through the Tennis Tuesdays website www.tennistuesdays.co.uk and cost between £4 and £6.
“All equipment is provided, and we just ask people to turn up in gym kit or suitable clothing,” said Mark Lewis, Tennis Wales participation officer for South Wales.
“The sessions have been running for a few weeks, but there’s a special focus on Tuesday June 16th, as interest in tennis gets a boost as Wimbledon approaches.
“Anyone is welcome, regardless of experience, as long as they are over 18. They might want to bring a drink and some friends for a fun evening of informal ladies tennis!”
The venues involved are:
Barry Community Tennis Club – 7pm to 8pm - £5;
Cardiff Tennis Club – 7pm to 8pm - £6;
Dinas Powys Tennis Club – 7:30pm to 8:30pm - £4;
Llanishen High School – 7pm to 8pm - £6;
Rhiwbina Tennis Club – 8pm to 9pm - £6;
Roath Pleasure Gardens – 7pm to 8pm - £5;
Whitchurch Tennis Club – 7pm to 8pm - £6;
Windsor Penarth – 7pm to 8pm - £6.
Dinas Powys has been one of the programme’s success stories so far – starting with five attendees in the first week, and rising to 11 – one fewer than capacity - by week five.
Head coach Rob Walbyoff said: “Tennis Tuesday has been fantastically successful in bringing players back into our sport, with some of the girls also deciding to join the club as a result."