Vancouver’s tennis scene got a big boost today with the announcement that Odlum Brown has committed to three more years as the title sponsor of the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, the top professional annual tennis event in Western Canada.

In its relatively short history, the Van Open has seen a remarkable list of tennis talent take to Vancouver courts. What makes an event like the this so much fun is that tennis professionals rise through the ranks so quickly that an unheralded Maria Sharapova won the inaugural Van Open in 2002 at Jericho only to become Wimbledon champion less than two years later.

Last year’s men’s runner-up American Sam Querrey was 80th in the world when he played here. He’s now ranked 42nd and is very much on the rise.

The players who hit the courts at West Vancouver’s Hollyburn Country Club from July 26 to August 3 may not be household names right now – but a year or two down the line, many of them could be in the world top 20. It’s how it works in tennis.

So when the tournament promises you that you’ll see the stars of tomorrow today, it’s not overstating the truth. The Van Open may not be on the top tier of tennis tournaments around the world, but it consistently delivers players among the top 80-120 and that’s not bad.

This year, the event comes just before the Beijing Olympics and organizers are expecting a number of top players to use the Vancouver event as a tune-up prior to the Summer Games.

And with the security of a title sponsor for three more year, the Van Open will only get better. It’s a great event. For more information, check out its website.