TENNIS fever is about to hit Bolton when the town stages the prestigious National Championships.

The cream of the country's top tennis stars will be on show at Bolton's £15m Arena and tickets prices will be slashed to allow everyone to watch the action.

Davis Cup stars Martin Lee, Barry Cowan, Arvind Parmar, Lee Childs and Jamie Delgado will all take part in the championships, which begin on October 19.

And though the big two, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski, will not be competing, there will still be some excellent tennis on display.

The National Championships used to be held in Telford but the Lawn Tennis Association is so impressed with the Arena and its facilities - including a 5,000 all seater showpice court - that the event has been switched to Bolton.

It is Britain's third biggest tennis tournament behind Wimbledon and Queen's and the players are delighted it is being held in the town.

Arvind Parmar, who trains at the Arena, said: "All the players here are excited about the event because it is a great opportunity for the Arena to show the rest of the country just what we have here.

"And if it is successful then it could be followed by a number of high profile events, including David Cup matches.

"That would be great for the Arena and for the town but to do that we need the fans to come and support us. The Nationals are a great way to start that and if we can attract the crowds then it could lead to bigger and better things."

Of the players that will be on show, Martin Lee was a member of the GB Davis Cup team that ensured promotion to the World Group after the 4-1 win in Ecuador last month and reigning national champion Childs is one of five British men in the world's top 350 involved in the main draw.

There will also be a strong line-up in the women's draw with Julie Pullin, last year's finalist and current British number one, facing a big challenge from Lucie Ahl and Elena Baltacha, a semi-finalist in the girls' singles at Wimbledon.

Tickets for the National Championships have been pegged back in price and cost between £4 and £8 with concession prices of £3 to £7. There is a Kids Go Free scheme which means that for every full price adult ticket purchased, one free child ticket can be claimed for children under 16 when accompanied by an adult. Contact the booking hotline on 01204 488178.

qBritain's big two Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski can't take part in the Bolton National Tennis Championships because they are still trying to rack up world ranking points in a bid to qualify for lucrative end of season tournaments.