TENNIS Jamaica president Aubyn Hill believes the hosting of the NCB Capital Markets tournament is a step towards generating greater interest in the sport.

The NCB Capital Markets Tennis Open 2011 will be held at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston from November 16-20 and is expected to feature promising local and international players.

There is no entry charge for spectators.

Speaking at the launch yesterday, Hill said frequent international competitions will keep players interested and provide the encouragement for them to see the sport as a career choice.

“I believe it is vitally important to have a tournament like this. What we notice is that people are not seeing tennis as a career, yet we see that people like (Roger) Federer and Serena (Williams) who have made it rich out of tennis.

“These tennis events we are putting on are saying to people that ‘there is a future in tennis, you can make money, you can earn (ATP ranking) points, you can become coaches’, and so forth.

“This kind of quality tennis is unusual in Jamaica and it’s free. Everybody is welcome and you don’t have to be a member of the Liguanea Club,” he told the Observer.

The local tennis body announced that the event boasts prize money totalling over US$20,000.

In the main draw for the singles event, 64 men are expected to compete for the record winner’s prize of US$6,000.

The runner-up will receive $2,250, while semi-finalists will walk away with $1,000 each. Quarter-finalists and round of 16 entrants will pocket $500 and 250 each, respectively.

Due to the limited involvement of female participants, the incentives handed out in the ladies’ equivalent are substantially less.

Relatively small rewards of US$1100, $350 and $175 will be given to the respective winner, runner-up and semi-finalists.

Hill said the ladies’ event will be cancelled if the minimum of eight players is not reached in the lead-up to the tournament. He explained that a doubles event would instead be played.

Damion Johnson, who finished second at last year’s Open to Bahamian Devin Mullings, is confident of going one better this time around and said he is looking forward to facing his local and international counterparts.

“This provides the chance to show Jamaica that I’m the best here. It’s a record-breaking prize money so I want to be the one to take it. We have good players in Jamaica who can compete at a high level and I personally know I should do well against any international player who comes,” said the 25-year-old player.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Carlista Mohammed was the 2010 winner of the ladies’ crown.

Aside from main sponsor NCB Capital Markets Limited, this year’s edition is endorsed by ATL Autohaus, Reggae Jammin, Ace Supercentre and Hi-Lyte sport drink.