Best Challenger/Futures Event To Watch

Floody78 · Junior player

Best Challenger/Futures Event To Watch

paulisi · Tennis legend

Depends what you are after.

Men/Women?
Indoor/Outdoor?
ATP/ITF?

I've done all the NW events and Edgbaston WTA recently(plus Wimbledon, Sydney, Nottingham)

I like to go to Edgbaston for the WTA event, which is a nice event, but fairly quiet until the end of the week (few of us forumites tend to frequent)

I also preferred the joint men/women event as there are more people around and a better atmosphere.

Didsbury - grass - A nice setting if the weather is decent
Wirral - finals are best supported in the north west

Shhh · Challenger level

I'm delighted that Surbiton is back on the calendar. You can sit in the stands overlooking two matches at once. There was something very English about the place and for atmosphere alone I certainly enjoyed going.

I have never seen the tennis at Ilkley but by all accounts its a very decent club and certainly a lovely part of the country.

-- Edited by Shhh on Tuesday 23rd of December 2014 08:28:56 PM

Floody78 · Junior player

I want to watch men's tennis, but a joint event would be fine too.

Futures/Challengers would be what I want to go to, see tennis from close up, watching players that we will see for years to come.

indiana · Tennis legend

The Edinburgh outdoor clay futures event is very good viewing if on again as in May this year.

Nice seated stadium bowl for main court and close grassy banks to sit on ( although the few benches were generally hardly oversubscribed either ) for the other courts.

OK, a bit of a trek from Hertfordshire, but make it a minibreak with sightseeing and could be good.

Weather was great when I was there this year. That I can't promise for next year !

philwrig · Hall of fame

Summarising the tournaments I have been to :

1. Newcastle - great venue, tranquil, quite a posh tennis club, good viewing of centre court with stand.
2. Sunderland - bog standard indoor leisure centre type venue, with solid viewing facility.
3. Nottingham - great venue, great viewing facility, friendly staff.
4. Edgbaston - posh club, security staff can be a little OTT, massively improved viewing on outside courts, great centre court, parking expensive, and long walking distances.
5 Eastbourne - great venue, very busy at times, great access to players practicing etc., local hotels a bit expensive, but overall a great experience.
6 Wrexham - outdoors great viewing, indoors poor, friendly vibe, weather can be shocking.

Miriambee · Futures level

Add to Edgbaston, the ITF they use the indoor courts, balcony with choice of 6 courts to view, easily see 2 at a time. need to know the best roads for free parking, or use buses from city centre.

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

Has anyone been to the Sheffield 10k? Or are they even open for spectators? Can't find it anywhere except the LTA site.

Floody78 · Junior player

Thanks for all of the help so far. I'm certainly leaning towards Edinburgh, my other half has friends up there and its a great city.

Was also thinking of doing Bath, if anyone has done that one?

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Bath - never been to an event on outside courts but indoors is great viewing. Raised walkway between 4 courts on either side. Student cafe, open to all, just down the corridor does nice food.

Never been to Sheffield but all 10k events free and open to the public, just rock up and say you're there for the tournament.

Ilkley is a beautiful club. Indoor viewing patchy, outdoor viewing excellent. Lovely 1st floor restaurant with big balcony overlooking all the grass courts or small grandstand at ground level with viewing over a run of 4 courts at a time, or seats available to take and place in the walkways between the courts to watch a particular match closely. Some good small hotels, pub B&Bs in the area too.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Floody, depending on your work commitments and how far ahead you have to arrange things, I would be driven mainly by the weather.

i.e. if the weather's set fair, and there's a 10K on that week, go for it.

I've been to several and thoroughly enjoyed all of them (mind you, I thoroughly enjoy the British Tour events too) (Mind you again, I can happily watch an afternoon of 10 year-old beginner girls' tennis . . . )

But if there's lots of hanging around with rain (or people being shipped off to unknown indoor courts) it's not much fun.

The NTC Futures is quite a swanky place to go and quite interesting to see (don't think there was one there last year but there was the year before and there blinkin' well should be - got to use those courts for something). Close too if you live in Herts.

Also, just my own view, but go towards the start of the week - you get to see a lot more matches, obviously a lot more Brits - it's got a good atmosphere. I find the last couple of days less interesting - just the semis, for instance, often played at the same time, and a doubles match, so very little tennis, and no one around.

Josh · Challenger level

Bath always indoors, or at least has been for the past 5 years. It's quite compact, all the courts are next to each other so you can follow more than match at once. Parking at the University though is a nightmare, can be tough to find a space and is £1 an hour with no limit so if you're there say 10-6 for a couple of days it starts to rack up.

Another nice one is the Foxhills club at Woking. Quite a posh club with surrounded by a few golf courses, very pleasant in the summer and there's a open air swimming pool next door so there's always quite a few people around and feels like more of an event than some of the other tournaments. Last couple of years it's been a women's only 25K though.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, going earlier in the week sounds a good idea with more matches and more general activity.

When I went on SF day in Edinburgh, even with not great expectations I was surprised by just how few spectators there were. But I just went to watch good tennis and thoroughly enjoyed a delayed ( yes, earlier weather had not been so good ) well fought QF involving Marcus and then back to back ( not at the same time as apparently sometimes happens ) SFs of Pauffley vs Hewitt and Willis vs Broady.

sherbert · Lower Club Player

Sheffield is also raised viewing so you can see all of the matches really well. Haven't been to a futures though, only British tour. They have a decent cafe there too - with a good full English if you're there early!

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Best challenger in UK at moment is nottingham pre Wimbledon , but why not get down to Aegon national finals in sept and support national mems champs - A1 Pharmaceuticals we have Neil pauffley , Marcus willis , Toby Martin and captain Matt short .

The standard was challenger level doubles & futures singles last year . Finals 4-6/9

at west hants club . So got great location for walking purbeck hills , harry rocks , brown sea island , west cliff

my favourite GB futures Shrewsbury good venue /good canteen /good courts and interaction with players .