LANCASHIRE tennis players take their first steps along the Telford title trail in qualifying for the Guardian Direct Nationals when the South Ribble Tennis Centre in Preston stages a County Qualifying tournament for The Lawn Tennis Association's premier domestic tennis event.
The Guardian Direct Lancashire County Closed Championships starts on Saturday June 28 and is one of 47 nationwide tournaments aimed at giving male and female players of all standards a chance to test their skill at national level.
More than 80 players are expected to contest the Lancashire event which finishes on July 13.
The winners of the six male and female titles for Divisions 2-7 qualify for the North West regional finals at Wrexham in September and October.
Divisional victory in one of the four Guardian Direct regional finals then guarantees a trip to Telford and a place in the Guardian Direct Nationals line-up itself from November 8-16.
Tim Henman (Oxon) and Julie Pullin (Sussex) will be defending their National Division One Men's and Ladies' singles titles respectively.
Six National titles will be at stake at Telford, ranging from the beginner division to Division One for Britain's best players.
Players are grouped, regardless of age, courtesy of their LTA National Player Rating.
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