MERSEYSIDE is well known for staging splendid sporting spectaculars, but there have been few as memorable as the current Liverbird Developments Liverpool International Tennis Tournament at Calderstones.
With sellout crowds, the players have combined to put on a whole stream of outstanding moments for hundreds of enthusiastic youngsters.
No wonder world star Martina Navratilova promised to return next year 'If I am invited', after thoroughly enjoying herself and helping to win two splendid mixed doubles.
When asked how she kept so unbelievably fit she smiled and said: "I have not very much else to do", and then went on to praise the grass courts which, she said, she had never realised existed in Liverpool.
At least most spectators knew Martina was coming, but promoter Anders Borg has continued to conjure other stars out of the blue to provide additional entertainment.
One of them, 18-year-old Novak Djokovic from Montenegro proved far too good all round for the Norwegian No. 1 Jan-Frode Anderson.
"Most of my experience of grass has been on television," he told me with a huge grin.
Another unexpected arrival was Mikael Youzany, who also turned up unannounced and was immediately given a match against former Liverpool star Barry Cowan.
Youzanay turned out to be ranked among the world's top 30, handling Cowan with ease.
