The Quad-States Adult Open, annually one of the top competitive tennis tournaments in the area, begins today.

However, when eyeing the turnout for this year's event, tournament director Matt Edwards has to be concerned, perhaps even alarmed.

"I would say tennis is struggling a little bit right now," he said.

The amount of Quad-States competitors has decreased steadily each year since the tournament's peak in 2005, when 126 players were entered in an open or age-group draw.

The tournament used to take place the second weekend in July; but for the second consecutive summer, it will conflict with the national holiday. Accordingly, 56 players are entered.

"It just depends who's coming from out of town for the Fourth of July weekend," said Edwards, who has served as director the past seven years. "Sometimes we see our old friends come back, and it's a really nice event for their friends and family."

Fortunately for Edwards, his main event, the men's open draw, hasn't fluctuated much. There usually are about 25 players, so the champion must win either four or five matches.

However, tracking the recent success of three-time champion Richard Blomgren, St. Ambrose's men's and women's tennis coach, shows the significance of a drop-off in quality.

When Blomgren won his first Quad-States Open in 2005, the philosophy professor needed a third-set, super-tiebreaker to defeat John Cincola in the championship match.

After Cincola beat Blomgren in the next year's final, Blomgren won the 2007 event, this time in straight sets over top seed Aaron Forsberg.

Last year? Blomgren dropped two games to 19-year-old Mitch Beckert, a Davenport Central alum who competes at Iowa, in the title match.

Blomgren is, by his own admission, "twice the age of everyone else in the draw." Either he's advancing superbly through the years, or the road is simply becoming easier each tournament.

"We do have a good group of adults," Edwards said. "It just depends on a lot of people who have families and kids, and can't spend all day Saturday playing tennis."

It also doesn't help that, as Edwards conceded, the usual influx of junior talent is starting to dry up.

"A lot of kids get into soccer and some other sports that require kids to play all summer and all winter. So that's taking away some kids from tennis," said Edwards, who helps out with the Bettendorf tennis team.

"And a lot of the high schools have graduated good kids; that's why the juniors might be a little bit down from what it's been in previous years."

Meanwhile, the women's open draw remains intimate, with just four ladies playing. The draw is marked by Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) player Erica Engelbrecht.

But with the same old crew back for 2009, Edwards is confident that the two-day event at Moline's Riverside Park will be a success.

"It's a big, nice celebration for Quad-City tennis," Edwards said. "Especially on the Fourth of July weekend because people are back in town ... it's a great way for families and friends in the tennis community to connect with each other."