Chengdu tennis challenge to kick off

The 2016 International Challenger Chengdu will be held in the Sichuan International Tennis Center in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, from July 30 to August 7.

It is the first professional ATP tennis tournament to be held in Chengdu and will draw 64 professional players from 24 countries.

"The event with the total prize money of $125,000 will draw Seong Chan Hong from South Korea who was the winner of the men's title at the Second ITF (International Tennis Federation) Junior Masters," said Tan Xuejun, chief of the Chengdu Sports Bureau.

The three-day second ITF Junior Masters concluded in the Sichuan International Tennis Center on April 10, with Anna Blinkova from Russia winning the women's title and Seong Chan Hong from South Korea taking home the men's title.

According to Tan, Chengdu now has more than 1500 tennis courts since the city's first was built in 1916.

"Each year, more than 1 million people in the city play tennis," she said.