ANYONE who followed the coverage of the BSF Tennis Championships over the past week will know the sport is thriving in the town.

As well as having a competitive club circuit, Bolton is also home to some of the region's most promising young players, who train at the International High Performance Centre at USN Bolton Arena.

But tennis enthusiast Sally Kinnes believes there could still be some people in the town whose passion is not catered for.

The London-based journalist and her partner Nigel Billen are behind a new national initiative called localtennisleagues.com, which, in partnership with the LTA, acts as an internet matchmaking service for people who want to play competitive, friendly tennis.

The service is open to men and women of all standards aged 18 and over. Those who register are organised into local groups of six to eight people of a similar ability and left to arrange their own matches over an eight-week round.

Entry costs £15 for each block of competition, during which time every player is guaranteed between five to seven matches.

Players can use any local court that suits them both and submit results via their phone or online, which are displayed on the website.

The concept has grown from a single group set up by Kinnes and Billen on a park court near their home in Highbury, North London, a decade ago.

The flagship group has grown from just 12 people initially to 186 in the most recent round.

But Kinnes and Billen have not stopped there, rolling the concept out across the country, with 150 at the last count, stretching from Inverness to Jersey.

Bolton's first group was set up in June and is due to finish on July 27, with entries currently being taken for the next round, which will run from August 11 to October 5.

Kinnes said: "There only have five members in the first Bolton group, but they have grown quickly in other areas from similar beginnings.

"The Manchester group was set up a year ago and now has 46 members.

"I was into my 50s when I took up tennis and after taking lessons my coach told me I would improve quicker by playing competitive games. So I just invited some of my own friends to play in the local park.

"It was competitive, but there was also a social element to it, and it was good because we were all of a similar standard.

"That's the blueprint for Local Tennis Leagues.

"Many people do not have a circle of friends to ask to play, so it basically just helps bring like-minded people together."

The website includes a map of public courts across the town, which includes the new refurbished courts in Moss Bank Park and those at Bolton Arena.

Other fringe benefits for members includes a nominal prize, of around £20, for winning their league, as well as a free can of tennis balls for players who complete three matches by the half way point.

They also get free membership of the LTA, which allows them to earn a national rating, plus automatic entry into the annual ballot for Wimbledon tickets.

Kinnes hopes the Bolton group will grow in the coming months and is eager to work with local clubs to stoke up further interest.

Andy Taylor, vice chairman of the Bolton Sports Federation Tennis League, sees no reason why the two leagues cannot be mutually beneficial.

"I would welcome any initiative that helps to get people playing tennis," he said.

"Hopefully, some of the people who start playing in this way ultimately go along to a club and end up playing in our league."