What Is 2013 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open

Overview

The 2013 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open was a joint professional tennis event combining ATP Challenger Tour and ITF Women’s Circuit competitions. Held annually in Vancouver, the 2013 edition marked the 12th running of the tournament and attracted international players seeking ranking points and prize money.

This dual-gender tournament featured men’s and women’s singles and doubles draws, played on outdoor hard courts at the Hollyburn Country Club. The event served as a key summer stop in North America during the tennis calendar, bridging the gap between Wimbledon and the US Open.

• Event Duration: The tournament ran for seven days, from July 29 to August 4, 2013, with qualifying rounds beginning earlier in the week.
• Prize Money: The total purse was $100,000 for the women’s ITF event and $125,000 for the men’s ATP Challenger, reflecting its status as a mid-tier professional tournament.
• Location: All matches were held at the Hollyburn Country Club in Vancouver, British Columbia, a private club that has hosted the event since 2002.
• Surface Type: The tournament was played on outdoor hard courts, specifically Laykold acrylic surface, consistent with North American summer hardcourt events.
• Attendance: Over 25,000 spectators attended the week-long event, making it one of the most well-attended tennis tournaments in Western Canada.

How It Works

The Odlum Brown Vancouver Open operates as a combined professional tennis tournament with separate draws for men and women under different governing bodies. It functions as a developmental and ranking opportunity for players aiming to break into the ATP and WTA top tiers.

• ATP Challenger Tour: The men’s event was part of the ATP Challenger Tour, offering 125 ranking points to the winner and serving as a critical step below the ATP Tour.
• ITF Women’s Circuit: The women’s draw was classified as a ITF $100,000+H event, one of the highest tiers on the ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour.
• Player Field: The singles draws included 32 players each, with wildcards granted to rising Canadian talents like Vasek Pospisil and Filip Peliwo.
• Doubles Format: Doubles events featured 16-team draws, with matches using standard best-of-three sets and a match tiebreak in place of a third set.
• Seeding System: The top eight players in each singles draw were seeded based on ATP and ITF rankings to avoid early matchups among favorites.
• Tournament Director:Robbyn Hermitage, a former Canadian Fed Cup player, served as tournament director, overseeing operations and player relations.

Comparison at a Glance

A comparison of the 2013 men’s and women’s events highlights structural and competitive differences between the ATP Challenger and ITF circuits.

The table illustrates how the men’s event offered slightly higher financial and ranking incentives, reflecting ATP Challenger standards. However, both events provided crucial competitive opportunities for players ranked outside the global top 100, with the women’s tournament helping launch the career of future Grand Slam semifinalist Johanna Konta.

Why It Matters

The 2013 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open played a significant role in the development of professional tennis in Canada and provided a platform for emerging talent on both the ATP and ITF tours. Its dual-gender format and strong local support made it a model for combined events in North America.

• Canadian Representation:Vasek Pospisil won the men’s singles title, becoming the first Canadian to do so since 2006 and boosting national interest in the sport.
• Career Launchpad: Johanna Konta’s victory marked her first ITF $100K title, a milestone that helped propel her into the WTA top 100 within two years.
• Grassroots Impact: The tournament hosted free youth clinics and junior exhibition matches, engaging over 1,200 local children in tennis development programs.
• Economic Boost: The event generated an estimated $1.8 million in economic impact for Vancouver, including tourism and hospitality revenue.
• Media Coverage: Broadcast partnerships with TSN and Rogers TV provided national exposure, increasing visibility for challenger-level tennis in Canada.
• Tournament Legacy: The 2013 edition reinforced Vancouver’s status as a key stop on the summer tennis circuit, leading to continued sponsorship from Odlum Brown through 2023.

The 2013 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open exemplified how regional tournaments can have outsized influence on player development, community engagement, and national sports culture. Its success helped sustain professional tennis in Western Canada for over a decade.