A NUMBER of major changes have been implemented for this year's annual Bolton Tennis Tournament.

It will not be held at Bolton School’s Leverhulme Pavilion for the first time in 34 years and the formats of some of the competitions will be changed.

Three local clubs – Markland Hill, Lostock and Meadow Hill – will stage this year's tournament which will take place between July 14 and 22.

The decision to change venue was taken due to a planning application from Bolton School to undertake significant work on the site.

Despite planning consent not yet having been given at the time, the Bolton Tennis Tournament committee took the view in January that other arrangements should be made.

Markland Hill, Lostock and Meadow Hill got together and responded to the committee’s request for venues with a joint offer.

The tournament will coincide with this year’s Ironman UK in Bolton, which has previously always been on the Sunday after the tournament and will this year be held on Sunday, July 16.

Only Markland Hill will be accessible on that date and to solve that problem it has been decided that the first Saturday and Sunday matches will start earlier than usual.

Among a number of other changes this year all junior events will be played to the LTA’s Fast4 format where each set is the first to four games.

All junior events will be completed over the first weekend to accommodate entrants from further afield whose parents cannot commit to travelling on weekdays.

All the handicapped events will play a one-point-deuce format which means that in a men's and ladies' doubles game where deuce is reached the receiving couple decide who is to receive the serve and the winner of the point wins the game.

In mixed doubles if the lady is serving at deuce she serves to the opposing lady, and if the man is serving he serves to the man on the final point of the game.

The tournament committee expect the venue changes will pose a challenge but remain confident of staging one of the best-run events in the county.

Entries close on June 7 and entry forms can be downloaded from http://www.boltonsportsfed.co.uk/tourny_entry_form2017.pdf or online entry is available via the LTA website www.lta.org.uk/competitions.

Level events are open to all but handicapped events are open only to registered players in the BSF Tennis League.

Markland Hill and Lostock will provide hot and cold snacks and both have bars. At Meadow Hill cold snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.