Kateryna Bondarenko is the reigning DFS Classic champion

The chief executive of Edgbaston Priory Club Rob Bray admits the input of Birmingham City Council will be vital to keeping the DFS Classic tournament.

The event will stay in Birmingham next year but the LTA are inviting bids to host the tournament from 2010.

"The council is a huge organisation and we've spoken to them about the situation," Bray told BBC WM.

"It's got a lot of experience of bringing international events to the city and we'll try and drawn on that."

Birmingham has regularly hosted major sporting events at such venues as the NIA, NEC and the Alexander Stadium and Bray is confident the city council is behind efforts to keep tennis on the city's sporting portfolio.

"We've already spoken to them on numerous occasions and they are very positive about it.

"They are willing to sit down with the club when the tender document comes out and see if we can put a bid together," Bray added.

We would expect Nottingham to put in a bid and we hear Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland are very interesting in hosting an international Rob Bray - Chief executive Edgbaston Priory Club

The debate about the tournament's future is the result of the LTA's restructuring of the grass court season.

The merging of the men's event in Nottingham with the ladies' championship at Eastbourne has seen the number of pre-Wimbledon events reduce by one, and Bray admits competition will be fierce over who gets to host the current event in Birmingham.

"We would expect Nottingham to put in a bid and we hear Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland are very interesting in hosting an international.

"I'm sure they're in the same position as us and just waiting for the tender document to have a look at it."

That document is expected to be made available later this month, with a submission deadline around November.