“This is an impactful event to the community,” said Mark Calitri, president of fhe Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The economic impact of this event is $200,000 for our community, so it’s certainly very important from this standpoint.

“Also, over 400 athletes from throughout the state will be competing.”

And compete, they will.

“It’s a fun tournament to watch, in general, and it’s definitely inspiring,” said Noel Clayton, president of the Owensboro-Daviess County Tennis Association.”The people who play in this event care about their fitness and they care about the sport of tennis — they are very passionate about the game.

“One of our 55-and-over teams has a member who is 80 years old, so that sort of shows you that tennis can be a game for life, and this particular event is a reminder of that.”

Clayton said because of the number of players and their ages, heat and humidity become issues this time of year.

“There are only so many days you can play this event, and it has been relegated to late July,” he said. “We’re taking some measures this year that should help in this regard. We’re starting matches earlier in the morning and later in the evening in an attempt to avoid the worst of the high heat index.”

The event, sponsored by Kentucky Orthopedic Rehab Team (KORT), could utilize a host of venues, including the outdoor facilities at Owensboro Tennis Center, Moreland Park and Kentucky Wesleyan College, along with the indoor facilities at Centre Court, Evansville Tennis Center and Tri-State Tennis Club.