AN event has been held to get more girls to take up tennis.

GB Tennis Girls Team Challenge, held on January 8 at Middlesbrough’s Tennis World, saw 14 girls from four North-East tennis clubs take part in the sport.

Girls from Hutton Rudby, Yarm, Tennis World and David Lloyd Teesside took part in the event, which included a parent and guardian workshop, as well as a coaching course.

The event was launched by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in partnership with GB Tennis Girls (GBTG) and the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) after research showed there was a “gender split” in the sport by as much as 70 to 30 per cent.

Referee Claire Smith said the events saw an all-girl affair with players, volunteer umpires and referees all female, and she hoped the event will encourage young girls to keep playing through positive role models.

“It was brilliant to see so many entries in the Mini Tennis Orange event,” she said.

“It was fabulous to see the girls making new friends, whilst also competing against and with each other and we are really looking forward to the next two dates.”