Shropshire are looking for a winning double

Amy Dannatt, who is part of the coaching team at The Shrewsbury Club, has made the shortlist for the national rising star of the year award.

Amy continues to gain experience as a tennis referee and plays a leading role as an official in ensuring popular events in the Shropshire calendar, including the County Championships and Battle of Shropshire, are such a success.

There’s also further recognition for the ITF World Tennis Tour W100 tournament, impressively hosted by The Shrewsbury Club last November, which is now in the running to be named as national competition of the year.

The LTA Tennis Awards were launched in 2015, with Shropshire’s former LTA president Cathie Sabin instrumental in its introduction to highlight and reward the achievements of people, clubs and schools around the country.

This year’s county winners in a number of categories were initially announced at Tennis Shropshire’s AGM in January.

The Shropshire winners then went forward to the next stage - the regional awards for the Midlands - which also featured county winners from Derbyshire, Hereford & Worcester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.

National shortlists have now been drawn up from regional winners across England, Scotland and Wales, with the overall winners to be announced at the LTA’s presentation ceremony at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton on July 4.

Tennis Shropshire chair Fiona Jones - delighted that both Amy and the W100 tournament, as regional winners, have now made the shortlist for national awards - said: “It’s incredible that Shropshire has two such strong contenders in the running for national awards.

“Amy and the W100 tournament have not just won the regional round and got through to the nationals - they have actually been included on the shortlist and are now in the running for national awards.

“It’s tremendous recognition for Amy in the rising star category and is very well deserved. It again highlights Amy’s growing stature as a tournament referee.

“It’s also great news to see The Shrewsbury Club’s W100 tournament, which brought world class women’s tennis to the county, shortlisted for competition of the year.

“It’s recognition of all the hard work put in by so many people into making the tournament such a success.”

“Being shortlisted is well deserved not just for the people most closely associated with the tournament, but also for the many volunteers involved, the stewards, the drivers, the children who formed the ball crew.

“It’s for everybody who came together to make the tournament a success.”

Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, added he is proud that Amy, a popular member of the club’s team, has been shortlisted for a national LTA award.

He also stressed the success of the W100 tournament in now being a contender to be named as national competition of the year owed much to a big team effort.

Dave said: “Amy is a club coach, heads up and runs our children’s programme at The Shrewsbury Club, and also takes the lead on our summer camps.

“Amy is hugely popular and well loved by both staff and members at the club. She is very conscientious and diligent in all the activities she is involved with.

“Amy is a really good ambassador for The Shrewsbury Club and, as a club, we are incredibly proud that she has now made it through to the shortlist for the nationals, which is an outstanding achievement.”

Dave added: “We are delighted the W100 tournament has also made the national shortlist. It’s testament to the incredible support we receive from the sponsors and also from the town.

“We received excellent feedback from the LTA and hosting it was a real team effort, so this recognition is a tribute to the hard work put in by the club’s team and so many volunteers in making the event happen.

“We are now looking forward to hosting the W100 tournament for a second time later this year from October 15-22, with the website for ticket sales going live on June 1.”

Pictured: Amy Dannatt has made the national shortlist for the rising star of the year award, with The Shrewsbury Club shortlisted for the national competition of the year in the LTA Tennis Awards following the success of the W100 tournament.