MARSDEN Tennis Club are launching their summer with an Open Day on Sunday, May 2 (9.30 to 5.00).

It’s an event designed to celebrate the upgrade of facilities at the Hemplow club and to offer people the chance to sample tennis for free (O’Neill Sports will have rackets available to try and buy).

The club are keen to attract new members and there will be coaching from qualified tennis professionals from 9.30 on the day.

Last autumn the club had perimeter fencing blown down in gales.

Members have carried out maintenance work and cleaning tasks themselves, fundraising and have received backing from the Cuckoo’s Nest charity shop.

Completion of the work will be celebrated at the Open Day, when refreshments will be available.

The club also held their presentations for 2009, the junior title was won by Ashley Beardsall, who was in superb form all season, while the Ladies doubles title went to Cath Connor and Lynn Sykes, who were defending champions.

The men’s doubles was a tight contest, with Jim Boothroyd and David Sykes coming out on top, and the mixed doubles has still to be concluded due to injuries, with Hannah Byram and Gary Smith taking on Cath Connor and Pete Beardsall.

The prizes were presented by Marsden’s head coach Sean Stafford.

The club is running a full coaching programme through the season with all ages and abilities catered for – with juniors on a Saturday morning (9.00 to noon) and adults on Sunday 9.30 – 12.30 and new for this season are adult beginners/improvers sessions.

Social tennis is on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons and there is also the opportunity to play competitive team tennis for juniors and adults – visit www.marsdentennisclub.co.uk