The Riverina Open will have a completely different feel when it gets underway at Jim Elphick Tennis Centre on Saturday.
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After the upheaval of a Southern Sports Academy takeover resulted in the delayed organisation of the tournament, this year’s edition will not count towards the Australia-wide rankings system.
But with 125 consecutive years under their belt, organisers were determined to see the show go on in some form, while assuring the Wagga sporting public there would still be plenty of quality talent on show.
Among that talent will be top women’s seeds Charlotte Littlejohn and Brenda Foster, while Brendan Lee and Dan Dossetor are expected to challenge for the men’s title.
Jim Elphick Tennis Centre co-coordinator Matthew Hort said the reduced amount of elite talent had resulted in increased local entries.
“We’ll definitely have a solid Wagga representation,” he said.
“We’ll also have a few coming home to visit family and compete while they’re here.
“The standard of tennis will still be very high.”
The preliminary rounds will begin on Saturday morning, with the finals to take place on Sunday.
The tournament is traditionally held over the October long weekend, with this year's edition being something of an outlier.
The division one competition boasts $2000 in prize money.