Montreal hosting national senior tennis tournament

WATCH ABOVE: The Rogers Cup may have come and gone, but that’s not stopping some of the best senior players from coming to Montreal for a national tournament. Global’s Tim Sargeant reports.

MONTREAL — Hundreds of the best senior players in Canada have hit the courts in Montreal to compete in the Canadian nationals.

Four hundred seventy men and women are competing in the 35 to 85 years and older age group, in singles and doubles.

The Mount Royal Tennis Club (MRTC) is hosting the event for the 60 and over categories.

“It’s the biggest event in Canada. It’s not Rogers Cup but for these people this is their Rogers Cup moment,” Tournament Director Suzanne Brenton told Global News.

It’s the first time in six years MRTC has hosted the tournament—a competition players take very seriously.

“You have to work for it and my goal is to always be part of the first three. The top three,” Monique Houde, the tournament’s number three seed in the women’s 75 and over category told Global News.

MRTC is no stranger to hosting national and international tennis events.

The 108-year-old club used to serve as Canada’s home location for Davis Cup matches for decades and players like Rod Laver—one of the greatest of all time—played there.

Claude Savaria, now playing in the men’s over 70 division, was a 15-year-old ball boy for Laver at the time.

“He was beating everybody like it was nothing,” Savaria said.

Sixty players from the local club are also competing in the tournament but many others come from all over the country. Every province is represented.

“Some of them played each other when they were 14 and they’re still playing each other in the 65. It’s pretty cool,” Brenton said.

The tournament isn’t about winning—but more about competing and having fun.

“It’s motivation to say keep in shape, keep playing because this could be you in 15, 20 years,” Bobby Kleinman, the MRTC president told Global News.