The waiting is nearly over as Lexus Wrexham Open starts this weekend

The waiting is nearly over as the biggest tennis tournament to be played in Wales for almost 30 years starts this weekend - with the prestigious event to be covered by BBC Wales.

The Lexus Wrexham Open, part of the ITF World Tennis Tour, gets under way on the indoor courts at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre on Sunday morning.

Qualifying will take place on the first two days ahead of the main draw matches starting on Tuesday, with British and international stars set to compete for prize money and valuable world ranking points.

The event is the biggest women’s tennis tournament, outside of the grass court season, to be played in the UK this year.

Richard Joyner, tournament director for the LTA, said: "We are delighted to be bringing the event to Wrexham for the first time, particularly as this is the largest tennis event to be played in Wales for almost 30 years.

"Everyone is really excited and we are looking forward to it, with tickets sales excellent.”

A wide range of events will take place throughout next week alongside the world class tennis action, with the local community embracing the tournament coming to North Wales for the first time.

"There's lots of activities going on throughout the week alongside the tennis,” added Richard. "The local community, local businesses, local organisations are all fully behind the event and are very proud of having it on their doorstep.

“It’s exciting for local people to have the chance to watch an event like this so close to home. What a lot of people say when they come and watch live tennis for the first time is they didn't realise how fast and how dynamic play is at this level.

"When you are court-side, you get a real feel for the atmosphere, along with the speed and the pace the game is played at.”

The event has attracted coverage from BBC Wales as the main draw matches will be shown live on both iPlayer (Wales) and the BBC Sport website and app.

“That really helps the profile of the event,” said Richard. “For those people able to get to Wrexham, it might also whet their appetite to see if there's tickets available to come and watch."

The BBC Wales Today cameras were at Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre earlier this week to preview the event, speaking to members of the tournament’s ball crew from local schools, as well as Rob Ward, who has trained them.

It’s not the only way for local youngsters to be involved with the event as children aged 10 and under from across North Wales have been taking part in recent weeks in the Wrexham Mini Open, a fun competition organised by Tennis Wales.

Two youngsters from each of the participating clubs will receive the opportunity to play in the Wrexham Mini Open finals on Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre's main show court, surrounded by 800 stadium seats, ahead of semi-finals day for players competing in the Lexus Wrexham Open.

Tennis stars from around the world will start arriving in Wrexham this weekend, with a strong field of players striving to become the first Lexus Wrexham Open champion.

This is the highest-level tennis tournament to be played in Wales since the Rover British Clay Court Championships in Cardiff in 1996.

Ticket prices, which include a 44-page tournament programme, start from £7.50 for adults and £3.50 for under-16s, with finals day tickets to enjoy both the singles and doubles finals costing £22.50 and £17.50 respectively.

Tennis fans can also buy a tournament pass to watch all matches throughout the week, priced £67.50 for adults and £47.50 for under-16s.

Around 800 seats will be available each day for spectators to watch high-quality tennis from stands that will be assembled next to the courts.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.wrexhamopentennis.com/tickets-and-events/#tickets

Pictured: Rob Ward, who has trained the ball crew from local schools for the Lexus Wrexham Open, was interviewed by BBC Wales earlier this week as the countdown continues to the start of the ITF World Tennis Tour event this weekend.