The CWU Recreation Center is putting together a tennis tournament on Saturday April 28 from noon to 6 p.m. This is the only time of the year that CWU Recreation puts together an organized tennis competition.

CWU has been hosting an annual intramural tennis tournament for several years now. According to organizer Jordan Bishop, there’s good reason why they keep bringing it back.

Bishop said that there’s definitely a significant number of students interested in competing in racket sports, but there’s not enough students to do a full league, so a tournament fills the demand.

“We try to meet the needs of all our students,” Bishop said.

Participants of all skill levels are welcome to compete in this tournament. Bishop explained that in prior years they’ve had first-time players, active players and former players as well.

“There’s a variety of skill levels for a tournament like this. It’s always great to see the former players come out and showcase what they’ve got,” Bishop said.

Several competitors are making their return for the CWU Tennis tournament including sophomore Shanna Chua.

“It’s an awesome experience to play against people of different skill levels,” Chua said. “It’s a competitive atmosphere, but at the same time, it’s all about having fun.”

Should the skill levels of participants be greatly different, the plan is to split participants into competitive brackets. One bracket will be filled with recreational players, and the other bracket filled with the more competitive players.

Participants that lose the first game shouldn’t be worried as there will be a chance at redemption.

“We’re going to do our best to make sure there is a three-match guarantee,” Bishop said. “Depending on the number of participants, we’ll either do a pool play format, or double elimination with an extra game.”

According to Chua, line judges and official scorekeepers are not projected to be at the tournament. Rather participants should be expected to keep score, demonstrate good sportsmanship and play the game fairly.

The CWU Tennis Club is a place to practice your skills, and compete against other universities in tournaments.

The president of the CWU Tennis Club, Nick Paulay had words for anyone that may be interested in participating in the tournament.

“There’s a lot of people that won’t have a lot of experience in this tournament,” Paulay said. “The best way to get better at something is to play against other people of similar ability. This tournament will be a good way to get into some live action.”

Wearing lightweight clothing is recommended, along with comfortable athletic footwear. Racquets and tennis balls will be provided.

You can sign up for the CWU Tennis tournament by going to imleagues.com/cwu and clicking on the tennis tournament sign up tab. For more information, or any questions you may have on the CWU Tennis tournament, send an email to organizer Jordan Bishop, at [email protected].