Schenectady’s Central Park has played host to some of the world’s finest tennis over the past quarter century — first with a free professional tournament for several years, then with a World Team Tennis entry the last 13. Sadly, that run has drawn to an abrupt close, as New York Buzz owner Nitty Singh announced Thursday the team will play in Albany this summer. Her decision, based on the need for a weatherproof venue to guarantee the success of her team’s two marquee events, is understandable, but it still seems that the city and county could have made a stronger bid to keep her.

Singh was getting a free ride from the city in Central Park — no rent, no utilities, no bills for added security, etc. She also got $25,000 from the county last year to defray her cost of running the team, of bringing in magnetic players like Serena Williams and Pete Sampras. This year, however, the county cut her grant by 10 percent and then never ponied up. Then the county Chamber of Commerce, which provided $3,000 last year, cut her by two-thirds.

Singh, still trying to recover thousands in losses from 2005, when three matches were moved inside because of rain and a last-minute lighting snafu, says that about a month ago she told Mayor Brian Stratton she wanted to move at least one of the team’s two biggest matches of the summer (featuring Serena Williams on July 9 and Anna Kournikova on July 22) to an indoor venue in Albany County. Stratton promised to get back to her, she said, but never did. (He says he tried.) Singh says she finally gave up trying to work out a compromise and last week signed a deal to move the entire schedule (seven matches) to the Washington Avenue Armory. Game, set, match. Too bad.

But who knows? Indoor tennis in an old armory may not be nearly as appealing as tennis in an outdoor, tree-lined park. If so, Singh should be welcomed back — even if for only part of the season. After all, some World Team Tennis — even the matches without big-name players that attract only several hundred people — is still better than none.

It’s hard to determine the kind of economic impact an operation like this has, but when most of the patrons are coming from outside the county (according to recent surveys), there has to be some residual effect, with people eating and sleeping here.

In the meantime, let’s see if, for this year, anyway, city and/or county recreation officials (Ed Kosiur?) can figure out a way to make some lemonade from this loss.