The Tribune

SOME exciting matches are scheduled today as The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) kicks off the Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals at the National Tennis Centre until December 22.

The Bahamas’ top athletes will compete to not only be crowned national champion but to also be a part of the 2023 Davis Cup (men) and the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup (BJK women).

This year promises to be another exciting year as tennis players (juniors and adults) will vie for the championship title.

The cast includes some of our top juniors, college players and former Davis Cup and BJK Cup players.

The event is open which allows anyone over the age of 14 to compete.

The tournament is named in honour of former president Giorgio Baldacci.

Currently, there are no players on the ATP or WTA circuit that meet the criteria of top 800 (Davis Cup and BJK Cup exemption criteria) and so all players must participate in the Open Nationals should they wish to represent their country in 2023.

This year the Bahamas was able to remain in both the Davis Cup Americas III and BJK Cup II Groups, staving off relegation to another group.

At the end of the Giorgio Baldacci Open Nationals tournament, two finalists will automatically be named to the Bahamas BJK and Davis Cup teams. An invitational is expected to be held in 2023 to fill the remaining spots on the team. All players must complete the tournament to obtain ranking positions (men positioning up to 17, women positioning up to 8).

The tournament is sponsored by RMS Insurance Agents and Brokers and Fidelity Bank & Trust Bahamas Limited.

We look forward to some competitive matches as the Road to the 2023 Davis Cup and BJK Cup gets underway today at 9am. Let the matches begin.