The Medicine Hat Tennis Club

By Charles Lefebvre

Tennis

Medicine Hat Open underway

Aug 21, 2019 | 5:03 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — One of the biggest tennis tournaments of the year in Medicine Hat is getting underway.

The Medicine Hat Open is scheduled to begin Wednesday evening at the Medicine Hat Tennis Club, with multiple players in the men’s, women’s, doubles and intermediate category ready for action. Games begin at 5 and 6 p.m. tonight.

“This is basically our number one tournament,” said Ken Clement, the manager of the Tennis Club. “It involves all the different levels of tennis. It involves singles, it involves doubles. And you have different levels available to people. It’s the one everybody gears up for.”

Raymond Weich, originally from Medicine Hat, is returning to his hometown to defend the title he won last year. Weich, who now lives in California, topped Calvin Heller, stopping him from claiming a seventh open title.

Heller says he hasn’t forgotten what happened last year.

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“I know my window of opportunity to win this tournament is shrinking, and Raymond’s future is all in front of him,” he said. “I had a one set lead, and I couldn’t close it out.”

Kristen Norris is also listed in the draw to defend the women’s title she won last year.

Clement says the amount of talent in Medicine Hat makes the tournament exciting.

“Everybody’s been working on their game,” he said. “There’s going to be some upsets, some surprises, and that’s what you like.”

Finals for the singles and doubles tournaments will run this weekend.