What makes the AEGON International so special for me this year?

By Tommy Curran - who will be reporting back on play on Monday 18 June.

"Why the hell are you talking to me?" screamed a perturbed Janko Tipsarević to a stunned face in the crowd. It was the final of the AEGON International 2011 at Devonshire Park, and the bespectacled Serb was cracking under pressure.

A set down to Italian opponent Andreas Seppi, Tipsarević became frustrated when a line call went against him.

With the court festooned in semi-darkness and only a smattering of supporters still braving the autumn-like conditions, Tipsarević took umbrage at a comment hurled from the stands and questioned the alleged abuser.

This was sport at its most dramatic - raw human emotion laid bare for all to see. The strain of top-class sport taking its toll on a hitherto placid and sanguine individual.

Seppi eventually claimed a 7-6, 3-6, 5-3 victory in the rain-interrupted final, with his opponent forced to retire hurt in his second match of the day. But the drama and compelling nature of that see-saw final whet the appetite beautifully for first-class tennis in Eastbourne.

The 2012 International is, for me, the most eagerly anticipated tennis tournament the town has ever hosted - Seppi will return to defend his title, but will face strong competition from former Wimbledon semi-finalist Richard Gasquet and up-and-coming Australian teenager Bernard Tomic.

The list of female entrants, meanwhile, is enough to leave one salivating. Petra Kvitová, 2011 Wimbledon champion, will be hoping to go one better than last year when she finished as runner-up to France's Marion Bartoli, who will also be back to defend her crown.

Where better to start this stunning summer of sport than on the Sunshine Coast? Let's play.

AEGON International Guestbloggers

A month ago we were looking for local writing talent to guestblog at the prestigious AEGON International Tennis Championships. A pair of tickets were up for grabs each day from Sunday 17 to Thursday 21, with the best blogger entry from the week winning tickets to the singles men's and women's finals on Saturday 23 June. The runner-up won tickets to the semi-finals on Friday 22. We asked budding writers to send us a 250 word feature on what makes the AEGON International tennis championships so special for them this year - be it players, their love of tennis, the location or (hopefully) the weather!

So to introduce you to our first guestblogger, Steph Temple, here's her 250 word entry. Steph will be reporting back on play on Sunday 17 June.


What makes the Aegon International so special for me this year?

The smell of freshly cut grass, the appearance of manicured toe nails and the waft of sausages sizzling on the barbecue are all welcomed signs of summer. It would not be complete though, without lawn tennis and no, not Wimbledon. The Aegon International in Eastbourne is the perfect event for tennis lovers or for those of you who just fancy a day out with strawberries and Pimms, to banish the winter blues and mark in style, the beginning of a stupendous summer of world class sport.

This year’s Aegon International is the highlight of the sunshine coast’s events’ calendar. Every year people from all over the country and further afield, flock to our wonderful town, to watch in delight as their favourite tennis super-stars work their magic on the pristine grass courts at Devonshire Park.

For me, the Aegon International will be better than ever, the line-up of players includes famous names like Caroline Wozniacki and Richard Gasquet and that’s before you scroll down the legends list to see favourites like Greg Rusedski, Martina Hingis and Marcos Philippousis storm on to centre court. Sorry, I promise I won’t mention the word storm again, yes the weather has been atrocious but even if the sun does not shine, the thrill of watching world class tennis and the buzz around the town in a few weeks’ time will be enough to fill us all with a warm, fuzzy glow.

Thanks Steph, have fun on Sunday!

Lily