The 2013 BOV Malta Masters final will be played at the Marsa Sports Club on Saturday.

The tournament is being contested by the country’s leading eight players. There are two round robin groups with the first-placed players facing the runners-up in the other group in the semi-finals.

Matthew Asciak, Raphael Sammut, Denzil Agius, Bradley Callus, Mark Gatt, Matthew Cassar Torreggiani, Miguel Galea and Mark Schranz are taking part.

National team player Bernard Cassar Torreggiani had to skip the tournament as he is overseas.

The Masters serves as a technical assessment of national team players ahead of international commitments next year. In May, the men’s team will be playing in the Davis Cup Euro Group III in Hungary.

David Farrugia Sacco, the Malta Tennis Federation president, is confident that the future of tennis in Malta is bright.

“In line with our policy of promoting the sport among the younger generation and in the absence of Bernard Cassar Torreggiani, Miguel Galea, 13, has been invited to participate in the Masters,” Dr Farrugia Sacco said.

“Furthermore, some of the players in the tournament are from the under-18 categories. This augurs well for the future of our game.”

Dr Farrugia Sacco said that a women’s round robin tournament, featuring four players, is also being held this week.

The training programme of the women’s team will be stepped up in the coming weeks in the build-up to the Fed Cup.

In 2014, the Maltese girls will be playing in the Euro/Africa Group III in Estonia, starting Feb. 3.

Dr Farrugia Sacco thanked BOV for their support while BOV’s John Paul Abela said the sponsors were delighted to be associated with this popular sport.