First Capital SSC Open Ranking Tennis Championships 2023 begin

The ‘First Capital SSC Open Ranking Tennis Championship 2023’ conducted by the Singhalese Sports Club commenced at the SSC Tennis complex on Friday.  The championship which will run till January 21 is conducted annually under the auspices of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association and is organized by the SSC Tennis House Committee.

The SSC Open, the country’s first and the most popular tennis tournament of the year, has drawn more than 700 entries for more than 25 events with over 700 matches covering all age groups, from under 12 to over 35. The championships comprise Girls’ and Boys’ events for those under 12 to under 18 (Singles and Doubles), Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and Veterans events for those over 35, over 45 and over 55 age groups.

The club’s Honorary Secretary, Vasantha Wijesekara, stated, “the SSC Open Ranking championship was initially held in the 1980s and was revived in the late 1990s. We were able to provide many unique features at the SSC Open, which continues to this day. Highest prize money inclusive of equal prize money for Men and Women, chair umpires for all matches, live TV coverage of finals, and an extremely player-friendly environment. These have made the SSC Open the most eagerly awaited tennis ranking championship in the Sri Lankan tennis scene. We have seen Arjun Fernando, Harshana Godamanne, Umesh Wallopillai, Jayendra Wijesekera, Rohan de Silva, Franklin Emmanuel, Sharmal Dissanayake, and many others who have represented Sri Lanka with distinction, excel at the SSC Open over the years. This consistent excellence in maintaining high standards was rewarded by the SLTA with the SSC OPEN being placed as a category 1 ranking tournament”.

Similar to last year, cash prizes for open category winners with gift certificates from Perera and Sons, trophies, and certificates will be awarded to the winners and runners-up.

The chairman of the Tennis House Committee of the Singhalese Sports Club, Suriya Bibile, commented, “First Capital SSC Open Ranking Tennis Championship is one of the few ranking tournaments in Sri Lanka that is much looked forward to by players and the tennis community alike. The championship is a platform for our players not only to progress in their rankings but a very competitive tournament that brings out the best among the participating players. We are delighted to be in partnership with First Capital Holdings, our title partner, to support the championship in 2023. It is also significant to state that the First Capital SSC Open Ranking Tennis Championship was upgraded to a category 1 tournament this year by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association. The number of entries this year too, is impressive as we look forward to some great tennis at the very start of the year”.

Last year’s tournament was one of the most prominent tennis tournaments in Sri Lanka, which attracted a similar number of entries from across the country. Winners of the women’s and men’s singles finals of 2022 will be participating in the event this year.

First Capital Holdings PLC marks its second consecutive year of title sponsorship of the championship, while HEAD-3G Sports continues to be the official ball sponsor. Perera and Sons, and Diesel and Motor Engineering PLC, also continue to support the championship as the co-sponsors, while Yeti Hydration is the official hydration partner.

Aruna Seneviratne and Chammika de Silva will be the tournament directors, while Mufaddal Hazari, an International Federation-qualified official, will be the tournament referee. Similar to last year’s finals, the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s singles finals will be streamed live, opening space for Sri Lankans living in and outside the country to follow the matches online.