Watch out for Renouk

Three members of Sri Lanka’s Davis Cup squad are likely to feature at this year’s tennis nationals which will get under way at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) Courts tomorrow. This time the National Tennis Championships moves up to the Mercedes Benz class – with the 92nd edition being staged under the banner of the vehicle regarded as a symbol of distinction.

The name-change to the country’s premier Tennis championship is the consequence of Dimo Agencies, securing the event’s sponsorship rights. “As the local representative of a prestigious car, it is only logical that we should tie up with the country’s most prestigious local tennis event,’’ said Ranjith Pandithage, Chairman of Dimo. “The two were meant for each other. And I am hopeful that the quality of the tennis will be as good as our product.’’

Janaka Bogollagama, SLTA president, responded: “We are delighted to be associated with a high-class name such as Mercedes Benz, and I am confident the quality of tennis that will served up will be just as good as the name under which the event will be staged.’’

Fittingly, a dash of history will be attached to the August 13-26 Mercedes Benz National Tennis Championships: after 92 years of clay courts, the event for the first time moves on to the hard courts, the most popular surface worldwide.

The honour of baptizing the hard courts (completed last April at a whopping cost of Rs.15 million), however, went to the eight-nation Davis Cup Group 3 tie last month – whose exciting, quality tennis is expected to impact on the event.

The only significant absentee is Harshana Godamanne who is based in Thailand and also the holder of the men’s singles crown. Expected to lead the challenge is Rajeev Rajapakse, who made significant contributions to Sri Lanka’s successes in the doubles of the Davis Cup. But with out doubt the man to watch will Renouk Wijemanne.

Wijemanne speaking to The Sunday Times said: “I went back to America after the Davis Cup because there was some work I had to finish up. I returned only on Friday. Obviously my goal is to win the singles crown. But the competition will be stiff with the likes of Rajeev (Rajapakshe), Shanka (Athukorale), Dinusha (Wijesuriya), Rohan de Silva, the non-playing Davis Cup captain and quite a few others. Let’s just see how it goes.”

The point of interest in the women’s singles will be Jithmie Jayawickrema’s hat-trick bid. The 16-year-old Bishops College student, like Godamanna in the men’s, won the singles in the past two years. She is currently in outstanding form, having advanced to the semifinals of ITF under 18 Damascus International and shooting up 142 places in the ITF junior world rankings, to 556.

She will be the women's singles favourite, but experience will have taught Jayawickrema not to assume the title until the final point is won.

Everything points to almost two weeks of fantastic tennis and from a spectators point of view it would be criminal to miss even one serve.