Tennis Victorian February 2012 Victorian Tennis News by Tennis Victoria

ISSUE 82 FEBRUARY 2012

V I C T O R I A’ S O N LY M A G A Z I N E D E D I C AT E D T O G R A S S R O O T S T E N N I S

Clubs

PREMIER LEAGUE

Kooyong and Liston go back-to-back

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS AWARDS

Victoria shines on tennis’s night of nights

Top 20 community clubs for 2011/12

Participation

Australian Open Trophy Tour 2012 visits Victoria

Regional

Lancefield Tennis Club case study

READY? PLAY.

Welcome to tennis played on kids terms. Specially designed for kids aged 5 to 10. Kids size balls and racquets? Check. Challenging program that grows with them? Check. Great fun with new friends? Check. For details on MLC Tennis Hot Shots, check out hotshots.tennis.com.au

FROM THE TOP

ISSUE 82 FEBRUARY 2012

Matthew Kennedy, Tennis Victoria – Executive Director Welcome to the February 2012 edition of Victorian Tennis News. What a fantastic summer of tennis in Victoria it has been thus far. As I write, the hugely successful Australian Open has just come to a close after a classic men’s final seeing many people arrive at work after much less sleep than usual! Prior to this, and without being exhaustive, the state has recently seen the conclusion of Pennant, Junior Pennant, Premier League, the pilot of the National Tennis League – Vic Division (and then its finals), six Regional Teams Events, the Victorian Grasscourt Championships at Geelong, the Inter-Regional Country Championships at Wangaratta, the December Showdown at Melbourne Park, the ITF juniors at Traralgon and another outstanding AAMI Classic at Kooyong. We congratulate all involved. Now we are looking forward to the Australia vs China Davis Cup Tie at Geelong and Country Week at Swan Hill, both taking place in February. This busy on-court activity has been matched by off-court actions. In particular, we are delighted to announce the new sponsorship of Slazenger as the Official Tennis Ball of Tennis Victoria. We look forward to a very successful relationship for the sport in the state. In addition, we have new partnerships and affiliate/ member benefits now in place with Winning Edge Presentations, Curnow Tennis and Tennis Warehouse Australia, adding to and complementing our existing supporters to whom we are grateful. The results for Victoria at the Newcombe Medal - Australian Tennis Awards, across all the community tennis categories, were outstanding and very pleasing. It was great to see Victorian volunteers and coaches who are the lifeblood of grassroots tennis be recognised in this way. With the smartest possible use of the resources we have available to us, the team at Tennis Victoria is as committed as ever to delivering on its strategic priorities. These are to (a) be a customer service organisation that is here to support its 932 affiliated clubs, centres and associations, and their 80,000+ members, however we can, and to (b) recognise and ensure that strong and productive partnerships – with all stakeholders from our affiliates and coaches, to state and local government, to schools and community groups, to key industry partners – are and will be the key to our successes for the sport. Please contact your Community Tennis Officer at Tennis Victoria if we can ever help in any way.

news 4 Juniors on show at nationals Levelling the playing field A big year for Pennant Liston and Kooyong go back-to-back Junior Pennant finals Victoria shines on tennis’s night of nights at Crown Palladium Top 20 Community Clubs for 2011/12 Empowering coaches in the private market Aussie Tomic takes out AAMI Classic The spiritual home of Australian tennis

participation 11 Australian Open trophies visit Victoria

coaches 12 Celebrating coaches

facilities 13 The journey for Lancefield’s court refurbishment project

regional 14 Regional tennis talent on show Barwon makes it four in a row

administrator 15 Member Benefits

Until next time, here’s to enjoying your tennis and the fun and friendships that surround it.

OUR SUPPORTERS

Tennis Victoria Phone Fax Email Address Web

(03) 8420 8420 (03) 8420 8499 tvreception@tennis.com.au Locked Bag 6001 Richmond Vic 3121 tennis.com.au/vic facebook.com/tennisvic

THE VTN TEAM Editor Lisa Winkler Contributors Tanya Mason Production Tennis Victoria Cover Destanee Aiava Front Cover Photography Matthew Wren Victorian Tennis News is published by Tennis Victoria two times a year. Reproduction in whole or part is not permitted without the written permission of Tennis Victoria. Also available online at tennis.com.au/vic.

NEWS

Juniors on show at nationals A national title is something many juniors set as a mini-goal on their way to reaching the bigger goal – joining the WTA or ATP tour, becoming world No.1 or winning a Grand Slam title. For many Victorian juniors, this dream recently became a reality when they competed at the Spring Nationals and the December Showdown.

SPRING NATIONALS At the 2011 Optus 12s and 14s Spring Nationals, Zoe Hives and Nicholas Opasinov took out the girls’ and boys’ 14s singles titles respectively. The win was a great result for Zoe, who is from Kingston (near Ballarat) as not many regional athletes win such titles. Despite being sick with the flu in the week leading up to the tournament, Zoe put up a great fight, and took out the title with a straight sets win over the No.1 seed, Sara Tomic, 6-2 7-6. “I just wanted to play like I [know I] can play,” said Hives after the win. “I thought my forehand went well and my serve was going pretty well until I did a couple of doubles [faults], but before that it was pretty good.” Opasinov won his title with a hard fought victory against fellow Victorian Daniel Nolan, 6-3 3-6 6-0. Opasinov’s great form continued in the doubles event, pairing with Jake Delaney from New South Wales (NSW) to take the title over Victorians Cody Brackenreg and David Hough. There were many other highlights for Victorian athletes at the Spring Nationals. In the 12/u boys’ singles, Chase Ferguson, Stefan Skadarka and Matthew Romios all

Daniel Nolan and Nicholas Opasinov after the boys’ 14/u Spring Nationals final.

made it through to the quarterfinals, while in the 12/u boys’ doubles, Skadarka and Jackson Ross made it to the semifinals.

with Nicholas Kyrgios from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in the doubles, the pair making the semifinals.

In the girls’ 12/u singles, Stephanie Serafidis made the semifinals and Jaimee Fourlis made the quarterfinals. Fourlis paired with Aleksa Cveticanin from Queensland (QLD) in the doubles, with the pair toughing it out in the final to take the match 4-6 6-1 10-7.

In the girls’ 18/u, both Viktorija Rajicic and Azra Hadzic made the semifinals, while in the doubles, Zoe Hives and Eliza Long, who at 15 and 16 respectively were both competing above their age bracket, paired up to make the semifinals.

In the girls’ 14/u doubles, Michelle Pits and Katerina Valos made the final before losing to their more highly ranked opponents.

Long went on to compete in the 16/u girls’ event where she won the title, defeating fellow Victorian Brigitte Beck in the final, 7-5 6-3. Samantha Harris made the quarterfinals, whilst in the doubles, Isabelle Wallace paired with Danielle Wagland (NSW) to take the title in a close match, 2-6 6-3 11-9.

DECEMBER SHOWDOWN After the Spring Nationals, all athletes turned their attention to the December Showdown in Melbourne. Bringing together the best Australian players in each age group (12/u, 14/u, 16/u and 18/u) for a three-week tennis carnival, the December Showdown culminates with the Australian Open Wildcard Play-off. The event also features the 12/u and 14/u national teams’ events. For the second year in a row, Marinko Matosevic was successful in his quest for an Australian Open main draw berth, beating James Duckworth (NSW) in the Australian Open Wildcard Play-off, 6-4 6-1 6-2. Not so lucky was Olivia Rogowska who, after making her way through the round-robin event to the final, was beaten by 15 year-old Wimbledon girls’ champion, Ashleigh Barty (QLD) 6-7 (6) 2-6.

Zoe Hives was all smiles after winning the girls’ 14/u Spring Nationals.

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS FEB 12

In the boys’ 18/u event, Andrew Whittington made the final, losing to Luke Saville from South Australia (SA) in three sets, 6-7(5) 7-5 2-6. Andrew Harris made the semifinals before he too lost to Saville. Harris played

Victorian Jacob Grills paired up with Tasmanian Harry Bouchier to take the boys’ 16/u doubles title with a tough win over the No.1 seeds, 4-6 6-4 10-5. In the boys’ 14/u events, Marc Polmans won the singles title, defeating New Zealand’s Kyle Butters 6-3 1-6 6-2. Daniel Nolan made the quarterfinals of the singles and then paired with Queensland’s Oliver Anderson to take out the boys’ doubles title, defeating the No.1 seeded pair of Butters and Matheson from New Zealand 6-3 1-6 10-1 “I had a tough tournament, but it was good to get through in the end. To get a nice big trophy, that was great,” said Polmans with a smile after his win. It feels good to win my first 14/u nationals. I was a bit intimidated by his strength and his serve – he has a great serve, but I was able to find a way to get through and win.”

NEWS In the girls’ 14/u event, Destanee Aiava made the most of her wildcard, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual winner, Priscilla Hon from QLD. In the doubles, Michelle Pits teamed up with Olivia Tjandramulia (QLD) and made the semifinals. In the girls’ 12/u event, Destanee Aiava claimed her second national title, defeating Petra Hule from South Australia (SA) 6-1 6-1. Aiava went on to win the doubles with Julia Makridis, defeating Gabriela Sprague and Vivian Fidantsis 7-5 6-3 in the final. In the boys’ 12/u event Todd Millington and Matthew Romios made the quarterfinals while Chase Ferguson went on to take out his first national title, defeating QLD’s Nathanael Consalvo 6-3 6-1. Chase made the final of the doubles with Benard Nkomba (NSW), the pair losing a very close match 7-5 3-6 10-6. Connor Di Marco and Jackson Ross also made the semifinals of the doubles. In the teams’ events, Victoria claimed the 12/u Margaret Court Cup, defeating China in a tight final that came down to a live doubles match. Congratulations to team members, Jamie Fourlis, Vivian Fidantsis, Stephanie Serafidis and team coach Mark Hlawaty. Not so lucky was the boys’ 12/u team who lost to NSW in the final. In the 14/u teams’ events, Victoria finished third in the boys and fifth in the girls. Congratulations to all players for their outstanding efforts and sportsmanship, both on and off the court.

Marc Polmans was very happy after his win in the 14/u nationals at the December Showdown. Photographer: Tom Ross.

Levelling the playing field Some major changes to tennis tournaments and competitions have come into effect from 1 January, 2012, with players’ best interests in mind. AUSTRALIAN RANKING TOURNAMENTS Some major changes to Australian Ranking (AR) Tournaments have taken place from 1 January, 2012. The main reason behind these changes is to provide more competitive matches for players, said Francis Soyer, Tennis Australia’s Tournaments Co-ordinator. “A change will occur to the current singles draw format to a ‘separation format’ where higher ranked players are placed directly into a main draw and the lower players are placed into a qualifying event. This will occur at both Australian Money Tournaments (AMTs) and Optus Junior Tour (OJT) levels,” said Soyer. The reason for the change is that research and feedback has shown that athletes, parents and coaches are looking for a better quality tournament experience. This format allows players of a similar ability to play more often in matches that are more competitive and, therefore, allow players to improve more rapidly.

including the calculation of rankings which is currently done manually,” said Soyer. For further information on AR tournaments, and the changes, please visit tennis.com.au/tournaments.

10-AND-UNDER RULE CHANGE The rules have changed for 10-and-under tennis. Modified equipment and a reduced playing area have been the starting point for children across many sports for years, and now tennis is getting involved too. The use of low-compression balls will make playing tennis easier for kids as the balls are slower and don’t bounce as high as a traditional ball. The use of a smaller court makes it easier for young players to cover the court and a correctly sized racquet increases the chances that their first tennis experience will be a great one.

AMTs may conduct either a 16 or 24 player main draw, and OJT’s have a choice of a 16 or 32 player main draw. Qualifying draws may accept up to a maximum of 128 players.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has specified that all competitions for players under 10 years of age worldwide must use a low-compression red, orange or green ball, and be played on a smaller court from 1 January, 2012.

AR Tournaments will also include consolation draws to provide at least two matches for entrants who lose in the first two rounds of either the qualifying or main draw. The consolation draw will remain separated for players who lose in qualifying and players who lose in the main draw.

Compared to a traditional yellow ball, the red ball, which is designed for players aged 5-8 years, is 25% compression, bounces much lower, is 20% larger and should be used on an approved smaller court.

Consolation draws for AMTs will be an optional sign in, whereas at OJT’s players are automatically fed into the consolation draw and are required to play until they are eliminated.

The orange ball, also to be used on a smaller court, is 50% compression and designed for players aged 8-10 years. The next stage green ball is 75% compression, for players aged 9 years and over and is used on a full size court.

It is now mandatory for all tournaments to close their entries 14 days prior to the commencement of the qualifying event. The one exception will be National Junior Championship entries which will still close 28 days prior to the start of the tournament.

This change applies to all Tennis Australia sanctioned 10-and-under competitions, and the appropriate low-compression ball should be used for each age group and matches should be played on the appropriate sized court.

Players are required to enter AR events online via tournaments.tennis.com.au and to ensure they input their 11-digit My Tennis ID number.

For further details about the new rule please visit tennis.com.au/rulechange.

“Using the My Tennis ID numbers will allow our systems to become more automated,

For further information or clarification about any of the changes, please contact Tennis Victoria on (03) 8420 8420.

tennis.com.au/vic

NEWS

A big year for Pennant 2011 was a big year for Tennis Victoria’s Pennant competition, with more than: • • • • • •

3000 players playing across 24 grades 500 teams competing 135 clubs participating 3500 matches 35,000 sets 8750 cans of balls, equalling more than 34,000 balls used

As the largest club representative competition in the country, Pennant provides a high-quality inter-club competition that caters to local tennis clubs, centres, associations and players. The full results from the Pennant finals can be found to the right. Congratulations to everyone who was involved in another wonderful season, showing that the competitive tennis spirit in Victoria is alive and well. The 2012 season is now fast approaching, and clubs and players are encouraged to enter. Entries will close on Monday 27 February, 2012 with round 1 commencing on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 April, 2012. Visit tennis.com.au/vic/competitions/ pennant for more information.

2011 PENNANT FINALS RESULTS GRADE

WINNER

RUNNER UP

Men’s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Seniors 1 Seniors 2 Seniors 3 Seniors 4 Seniors 5 Seniors 6 Women’s Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 WOD

Royal South Yarra Bundoora Strathmore Mordialloc Eildon Park Overport Park Box Hill Mt Eliza St Lukes Thomastown Macleod Maccabi No 1 Kooyong Lawn No 1 Yarraville Greensborough Beaumaris Lawn Kurunjang Park Yarraville

5-10-96 5-10-69 4-11-98 4-9-78 5-10-72 5-10-80 5-12-97 4-9-67 4-10-90 6-10-65 4-10-86 2-4-44 4-8-53 2-4-40 3-5-33 4-8-57 3-6-43

d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d

Kooyong Lawn Maccabi Bruce Park Geelong Lawn Mayfield Park East Camberwell Knox City Glen Iris Valley Beaumaris Lawn No 1 North Balwyn Templestowe Park Warrandyte Heatherdale Macleod Grace Park Kooyong Lawn Eley Park

2-6-78 2-5-65 2-6-79 4-8-71 0-2-42 1-5-64 2-6-75 1-2-43 3-8-75 0-0-40 2-6-69 1-3-33 0-1-21 2-4-35 0-1-24 0-2-36 1-2-32

Kooyong Lawn No 2 Kooyong Lawn No 1 Royal South Yarra No 1 Donvale West Lalor Melbourne University East Preston Park

4-10-87 5-11-86 4-10-87 5-11-81 4-10-77 4-10-72 2-5-44

d d d d d d d

Kooyong Lawn No 1 Essendon Kooyong Lawn No 2 Bundoora MCC No 1 Bulleen Altona

2-6-62 2-6-75 3-6-70 0-3-44 1-4-54 1-4-44 1-4-29

Liston and Kooyong go back-to-back Liston Tennis Club and Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club each defended the inaugural Premier League titles they won in 2010. Liston defeated Kooyong in the men’s competition, while Kooyong defeated Geelong Lawn Tennis Club in the women’s. Paul Arber, Captain of Kooyong’s men’s team congratulated Liston for their effort in winning the competition.

Both teams scored comprehensive victories, with Liston taking the men’s title 5-11-99 to 2-6-83 and Kooyong winning the women’s 5-10-66 to 1-2-32.

“Congratulations to Liston, they were far too good. Well done to Dane for really bringing in some terrific players and making the competition really incredible,” he said.

“I want to thank all the boys for coming back each week from the tournaments, and especially to Dane Nebel and Gary Clark and everyone at Liston,” said Sam Groth, Liston’s No.1 player, after the win. With the likes of Groth, Sally Peers, John Peers, Belinda Woolcock and Viktorija Rajicic among the players who played Premier League in 2011, it kept the standard of the competition very high. Groth, who chose Premier League to return to playing after shoulder surgery, was full of praise for the competition.

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS FEB 12

Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club’s women’s team were victorious at the Premier League final. Photographer: Andrew Gyopar

“It’s a better competition now. It’s a shorter format and getting a lot more guys who are playing on the tour. It has really increased the level of tennis in Victoria and hopefully it can keep going from here and get stronger.”

Despite losing their No.1 player, Sally Peers, for the final, Kooyong’s women’s team were too strong for Geelong on the day, setting up their win after taking out the opening three doubles matches. “I’d like to thank my team,” said Laura McNamara, Captain of Kooyong’s women’s team.

NEWS

Junior Pennant finals

he 2011 Junior Pennant competition finished up on Sunday 20 November, with all 22 section finals taking place.

Liston Tennis Club’s men’s team went back-toback at the Premier League final. Photographer: Andrew Gyopar.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Everyone was so eager to play. I’d [also] like to thank Tennis Victoria for the time and effort they’ve put into making this event possible.” Geelong Lawn’s Captain, Brianna Bateup, was full of praise for her team and their efforts in again making the final in only their second year back at the highest level of competition in Victoria after a 54-year absence. “I just want to say thanks to the girls. I think we played really well. I don’t think we thought we’d get this far actually, but we pulled together with girls making a lot of effort to play – some coming back after babies and travelling a long way as well. Hopefully we’ll be back stronger and better next year.” Following on from Premier League, was the National Tennis League – Victorian Division (NTL – Vic). Kooyong, Dingley, Grace Park and an Allied Team made up the men’s competition, while Kooyong, Geelong Lawn, Grace Park and Dendy Park competed in the women’s. Following a three-round competition played using a shortened format of matches, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club made a clean sweep of the NTL – Vic, winning both the men’s and women’s finals. The men’s team beat Dingley Tennis Club convincingly, 6-12-64 to 0-1-20, while the women’s match was a much tighter affair, with Kooyong winning by just two games. Both men’s and women’s teams were given the opportunity to play in the National Tennis League play-off during the second week of Australian Open 2012 to determine the national champion teams. Kooyong again proved to be far too strong for their oppostition, winning both titles. The men’s team had a decisive victory over Dingley in their all-Victorian final, 4-7-34 to 1-2-21, while the women defeated the Flagstaff Freighters from South Australia, 4-7-33 to 0-1-20

A day of fine weather enabled all finals to be completed, with presentations following the completion of play. “It was a great end to an exciting season of competition where 116 teams and 685 players took part in the 12/u, 14/u, 16/u and 18/u age groups,” said Jason Simmons, Tennis Victoria’s Manager of Junior Competitions and Tournaments.

North Eastern Junior Tennis Association girls’ 12C team receives their runners-up awards from Tennis Victoria’s Vice President, Maria Keys. Photographer: Andrew Gyopar.

The 18/u competition was offered for the first time in Junior Pennant in 2011 and comprised a mixed format and five rounds. As no finals matches were played, Western Region finished on top of the ladder and were declared the winner, with Eastern Region Tennis narrowly coming second.

competition whereby players are selected to represent their local metropolitan association.

As Tennis Victoria’s flagship junior competition, Junior Pennant, is a team-based

Congratulations to everyone involved on another great season.

With teams from 10 associations competing, the competition gave players invaluable match play experience against players they wouldn’t usually have a chance to play.

2011 JUNIOR PENNANT FINALS RESULTS SECTION WINNER

RUNNERS UP

Boys 16A 16B 16C 16D 14A 14B 14C 14D 14E 12A 12B 12C 12D

Waverley Tennis North Eastern Jnr Black Western Region Waverley Tennis Waverley Tennis North Eastern Junior North Eastern Junior North Suburban Junior Bayside-Moorabbin North Suburban Junior Bayside-Moorabbin Barwon North Eastern Junior

Mixed 10A

Bayside-Moorabbin Blue 5-9-62

d Berwick and District

1-2-42

Girls 16A 16B 14A 14B 14C 12A 12B 12C

Waverley Tennis North Suburban Junior Waverley Tennis Barwon Western Region Waverley Green North Suburban Junior Barwon

d d d d d d d d

2-4-39 3-5-43 2-5-43 2-4-39 1-2-36 0-0-25 1-3-49 1-2-31

5-9-64 4-6-50 4-7-50 6-10-66 6-10-64 4-7-49 5-8-56 4-7-53 4-7-52 3-6-51 4-7-59 3-6-55 4-7-51

4-6-48 3-5-46 4-7-51 4-6-54 5-8-54 5-9-57 5-9-60 5-9-65

d d d d d d d d d d d d d

North Suburban Junior North Eastern Jnr Red North Eastern Junior North Eastern Junior Red Eastern Region Tennis North Suburban Junior Eastern Region Tennis North Eastern Junior North Eastern Junior Berwick and District North Eastern Junior Waverley Tennis Peninsula

Eastern Region Tennis North Eastern Junior Red Barwon North Eastern Junior North Suburban Junior Eastern Region Tennis North Eastern Junior North Eastern Junior

tennis.com.au/vic

1-1-38 2-6-53 2-5-46 0-0-30 0-0-22 2-5-41 1-2-31 2-4-41 2-3-39 3-5-47 2-4-48 3-5-49 2-3-39

AWARDS NEWS

Victoria shines on tennis’s night of nights at Crown Palladium

ictorian tennis excelled at the Newcombe Medal – Australian Tennis Awards in December, winning six of the 11 community and coaching awards (outside of the elite player awards). The Victorian winners and their categories were: Coaching Excellence – Club Peter Owen Coaching Excellence – MLC Tennis Hot Shots Wesley Horskins Most Outstanding 35+ Tennis Senior Glenn Busby Most Outstanding Club Sale Tennis Club Volunteer Achievement Award Tom Hancy Most Outstanding School (including $5000 grant) Middle Years Tennis School at Box Hill Secondary College Wes Horskins, of Futures Tennis Academy, said winning the award was the highlight of his 25-year coaching career. He believes the quality of his programs helped him stand out to win the award. “It means the world [to me]! To be quite honest I didn’t expect it at all,” said Horskins after his win. “I just love coaching grassroots tennis. I’ve been in it for 25 years and always want to be involved in grassroots,” he added.

Peter Owen receives his award from Australian tennis legend Todd Woodbridge.

Peter Owen, who received the Coaching Excellence – Club award, said it meant a lot and it was great to have recognition for club coaches. “It’s so amazing to have the Awards at the Crown Palladium; it’s pretty special to be a part of the legends of tennis ... because this night is about the wider tennis community as well,” said Owen. Winning the Most Outstanding Club award capped off a stellar year for the Sale Tennis Club, who were also recently awarded the Australian Good Sports Champion Club of the Year and were a finalist in the Sport and Recreation Community Sporting Club of the Year for 2011. “I think it will certainly help to put tennis on the map,” said Robin Lowe, the club’s President. “It’s generally considered that Gippsland’s a fairly sleepy place and to actually receive a national award will really liven things up down there.” Having started playing tennis at about five years of age, the winner of the Most Outstanding 35+ Senior award, Glen Busby, said it was a huge honour.

Wes Horskins proudly shows off his award.

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS FEB 12

“How fortunate are we to achieve an award for something that you love doing [and] that you’re passionate about.”

Tennis Victoria congratulates not only the winners, but all the finalists on their achievements and ongoing contribution to tennis.

2011 NEWCOMBE MEDAL AUSTRALIAN TENNIS AWARDS VICTORIAN FINALISTS Newcombe Medal Jarmila Gajdosova Coaching Excellence – Club Peter Lumsden Coaching Excellence – MLC Tennis Hot Shots Danielle Borle Excellence in Officiating Tom Sweeney Most Outstanding 35+ Senior Andrew Rae Most Outstanding Tennis Club Geelong Lawn Tennis Club Most Outstanding Tennis Community Barwon Region Bendigo Tennis Association Most Outstanding School Yarra Valley Grammar School

NEWS

Top 20 Community Clubs for 2011/12 Significant improvements to Geelong Lawn Tennis Club are paying dividends, with the club sitting at the top of Tennis Victoria’s Top 20 Community Club list for 2011/12, based on membership figures for 2010/11.

More recently, the club has also signed up to the Regional Partnerships Program and was selected by Tennis Australia to host the Davis Cup Zonal tie between Australia and the Peoples Republic of China.

Lots of hard work has seen the club’s membership increase to 904, which is a 4% increase over the past year.

The top 20 list demonstrates the variable, yet robust nature of membership within Tennis Victoria’s largest affiliates.

Geelong Lawn Tennis Club’s Manager, Ken Barton, says Australia’s biggest club, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club has provided them with some invaluable advice for moving the club forward.

All affiliates from the 2010/11 top 20 who achieved growth in their membership either increased or maintained their rank for 2011/12, while similarly all clubs who had a decline in their membership fell in their ranking, with the exception of Royal Park TC, who had a slight decrease in membership numbers (0.9%) but increased their rank by one position.

“Chris Brown and the Kooyong club have been very generous with their advice and their time, when we have met with them to share ideas and get their thoughts about successful clubs,” said Barton. “Although our clubs and the environments in which they operate are quite different, the visits and discussions have been very helpful for us to formulate our strategies to increase membership.”

Of the new list of clubs, seven of the Top 20 are new entrants to the list from last year (as indicated by bold in the list to the right).

Tennis Victoria would like to congratulate the following clubs for their tireless efforts to achieve more than a 50% increase in membership: Bendigo Lawn TC (62.2%), Heatherdale TC (61.2%), Traralgon TA (72.9%) and Mt Martha TC (51.2%).

TOP 20 COMMUNITY CLUBS FOR 2011/12*: 1. Geelong Lawn TC 2. East Malvern TC 3. Tally Ho TC 4. Royal Park TC 5. Shepparton Lawn TA 6. Beaumaris Lawn TC 7. Bendigo Lawn TC 8. Essendon TC 9. Heatherdale TC 10. Traralgon TA 11. Liston TC 12. Frankston TC 13. Mt Martha TC 14. Glenvale TC 15. Yarrawonga Lawn TC 16. Willison Park TC 17. Park Orchards TC 18. Aireys Inlet and District TC 19. Glen Iris Valley Rec Club 20. Buckley Park TC 21. Parkwood TC * As two clubs were ranked 20th, having an equal number of members, there are 21 clubs who have been awarded top 20 status.

Empowering coaches in the private player development market Following a recent announcement by Tennis Australia to enhance the 12/u Talent Development area, now known as Project Talent, Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia have been working closely to build the best structure to support the future of player development in Victoria.

and empowers the private coaching market to offer more opportunities in the player development area. “We will be increasing support to the Victorian TDCs and private coaches to assist them in developing talented athletes,” said Emily Rea, Tennis Victoria’s Player Development Coordinator.

As such, Tennis Victoria has repositioned its player development programs in 2012 to improve their alignment to the national athlete development pathway, with an emphasis on developing athletes aged 12/u to transition them into the National Academy Melbourne.

As a part of the changes, Tennis Victoria will deliver a highly focussed 12/u Future Stars Program aimed at athletes striving for national and international success. The program will contain a maximum of 16 athletes who will be selected for six-month training periods, based upon a number of key criteria.

These changes recognise the increasingly important role played by Tennis Australia’s Talent Development Coach (TDC) network

The State Academy and Advantage Program will be replaced by a Tennis Victoria Player Support Program that will cater for athletes

aged 16/u who meet the ranking criteria for their birth year. “The Player Support Program will conduct quarterly training activities and will be the platform through which a variety of key tennis topics will be delivered. The private coach market will provide the training for athletes and we will complement this by providing Full Duty of Care Tours and tournament support to all 14/u and 16/u national events, as well as extending sports science support,” said Rea. Resources are available from both Tennis Australia and Tennis Victoria to assist coaches looking to implement a high performance program within their business. For further information on these resources, or more details on the changes, please contact Tennis Victoria on (03) 8420 8420.

tennis.com.au/vic

AWARDSNEWS

Aussie Tomic takes out AAMI Classic

ndre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Bernard Tomic have something in common. They’ve all been winners of the AAMI Classic. Held at the spiritual home of Australian tennis, the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, the AAMI Classic has been bringing the big names of international tennis to Victoria since 1988. The AAMI Classic features eight men, with some of the big names in tennis, and the young up-and-comers, as they prepare for January’s main event, the Australian Open. The promotion/relegation format of the draw guarantees each player three matches over the four days, making it ideal preparation for some. This year saw the AAMI Classic take a new approach to marketing the event, using the tagline ‘Up Close and Classic’. “We wanted to take the event to the

people and break into new markets,” said David Stubs, Event Director at Colin Stubs Enterprises (CSE) Pty Ltd who, in conjunction with the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, presents the AAMI Classic. As part of taking the event to the community, the launch was held at Federation Square for the first time. Players answered questions on stage before signing autographs and posing for photos with the fans that turned out in droves to see their heroes. Tennis Victoria set up a mini-court at the launch, giving youngsters a chance to have a go at MLC Tennis Hot Shots. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with a bit of help from Pat Cash, then took to the court to have a hit with three eager youngsters who had been invited along for the event. The mini-court was then transported from Federation Square and re-laid on the spectator lawn at Kooyong, along with the

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga high-fives participants from the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program.

speed serve structure, giving attendees the chance to have a hit, test their serving speed and pick up a showbag between matches and during the rain delays. As for the event itself, Australian teenager Bernard Tomic took the title, defeating Tomas Berdych, Gael Monfils and Mardy Fish along the way, which from Stubs’s point of view, was great to see. “It was fantastic for Australian tennis,” said Stubs.

The spiritual home of Australian tennis

ooyong Lawn Tennis Club (KLTC) has long been an Australian institution on the tennis scene and is affectionately known as the spiritual home of Australian tennis. The club attributes much of its success to its ability to stay relevant to its members, keep up with changing trends and support the community.

after work for a hit of tennis. Or after tennis, a group will return to the clubhouse to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat,” said Brown.

THE CLUB

The club recently set up reciprocal arrangements with the Victoria Racing Club, Riversdale and Portsea Golf Clubs and Sandringham Yacht Club. These arrangements allow Kooyong’s members to enjoy other clubs’ facilities and services.

With a membership base of around 8000, the club is arguably the largest in the country, and yet, it faces many of the same problems that other clubs face, namely that of staying relevant to current and potential members.

“Clubs can find ways to extend their member privileges and benefits, even where there may be financial constraints that would limit capital development.”

“One of the things that has been good about this club is that we’ve stayed true to our core,” said Chris Brown, KLTC’s CEO. “We stayed true to what was our traditional base, which was to provide tennis opportunities and try to improve the way we offer tennis. That means we maintain the condition of the courts, provide good coaching and good competitions.” The club was also developed in other areas to ensure relevancy to the broader needs of members, which included the addition of facilities such as the gym and pool. “Members use the whole club. They may use the gym at the start of the day and return

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS FEB 12

KOOYONG FOUNDATION To support the game and upcoming juniors, the club set up the Kooyong Foundation ten years ago to preserve the history of Kooyong and support the game of tennis, which is largely done through the club’s player development programs. The Foundation has raised half a million dollars which has supported talented juniors on their tennis journey. In recent years, a number of players who made the intake into the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Tennis Program have been assisted by the Kooyong Foundation.

“We’re able to provide them with the chance to use the club, to be active in all that being a member of the club means and, off the back of that, hopefully develop their skills. Without the help they got, they might not have had the opportunities that they now have,” said Brown.

THE COMMUNITY With 26 grass courts, 22 en-tout-cas and three plexicusion courts, KLTC’s facilities are always in high demand, and not just from members. In addition to hosting two of Tennis Victoria’s Regional Team Events, the Wayne Arthurs and Alicia Molik Cups, KLTC makes itself available to a lot of different interest groups. “Across the year there’s a lot that we do for Tennis Australia, Tennis Victoria, local schools and local groups, such as Victorian Sport and Recreation Association for Persons with an Intellectual Disability (VICSRAPID),” said Brown. “Our calendar, if you look at it across 12 months, has about 700 courts allocated to different activities to outside groups.” Overall, with KLTC’s ability to stay current and support the growth of tennis in the state, it is easy to see why it continues to be the largest tennis club in Australia.

PARTICIPATION

Australian Open trophies visit Victoria

or only the second time, the men’s and women’s Australian Open trophies have gone on tour, allowing fans to touch a piece of history and have their photo taken with the trophies that Australian Open 2012 men’s and women’s champions will take home. After completing visits to China and the rest of the country, it was Victoria’s turn to host the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup and the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. The first stop was the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club for the 10/u Wayne Arthurs Cup, before heading off to the Caroline Springs Tennis Club. The club won the right to have ‘Norman’ and ‘Daphne’ attend their Club Open Day after winning the Tennis Victoria Club Open Day competition with this creative entry: In Caroline Springs we need a few things, We’re a brand new committee in this 20k people city Our 4 courts are great, but we’re trying to get another 8 With a special tennis trophy or two, here’s what we’d do; We’d get a stand in the mall, hand membership forms to all We’d take lots of shots, of the cups and the tiny tots We’d get heaps of free press, invite the mayor to impress. Before we walked the cups down, to our club from the town. There’d be but one thing to do, that’s end with a bbq.

Briget Ewert and Lachlan Taylor from Whitehorse Primary School got to hold the Australian Open trophies when they visited their school as part of Australian Open Trophy Tour 2012.

It was then back to school for Norman and Daphne with a visit to Whitehorse Primary School, which was a very exciting and special day for the kids involved. The two cups, accompanied by Jenna Eagles from Tennis Australia and Tennis Victoria staff, then spent the holiday season along Victoria’s surf coast and Mornington Peninsula. The regional tour started in the south west at the Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club for the Sungold Warrnambool Junior Open and then went to the Warrnambool Country Races. “It was fantastic the cups went out on tour to reach the regional tennis players and fans,” said Sam Baulch from Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club.

The photo opportunity was a hit with tennis enthusiasts of all ages, and captured the interest of the general public everywhere. “It was great to see the smiles on the children’s faces,” said Baulch. The tour continued for Norman and Daphne in Geelong and on the Bellarine Peninsula, stopping at the Torquay Surf Club, the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club for the Victorian Grasscourt Championships, the Queenscliff Bowling, Tennis and Croquet Club and then taking the scenic route to Sorrento - on the ferry! Tennis fans in all locations lapped up the opportunity to hold aloft the trophies whilst imagining themselves standing on Rod Laver Arena as an Australian Open winner. The final stop on the coastal trip was Mornington, with a visit to the beach and a fun, family-oriented day at the Mornington Tennis Club. “The trophies generated great exposure for our club with over 100 new faces visiting and becoming aware of our facilities. It created a great end to our junior tournament and everyone was really impressed with the trophies,” said Jamie Smith, Mornington Tennis Club President. To see more photos from the Victorian leg of Australian Open Trophy Tour 2012, please visit australianopen.com.au/trophy.

Feeling like a Grand Slam champion at Mornington Tennis Club.

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COACHES

Celebrating coaches

he Tennis Coaches Australia – Victoria (TCA-V) annual awards night for 2011 was held in November, showcasing some wonderful examples and stories of dedicated and passionate tennis coaches, of all ages and stages of their careers.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (ASSISTANT COACH, 25 YEARS AND UNDER) GISELLE DE BARTOLO Giselle was nominated for the award by her Head Coach, Matthew Gregory, from Royal Park Tennis Club. At just 24 years of age, Giselle had a big year in 2011. She completed the Tennis Australia Club Professional coaching course and attended the United State Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) World Coaches Conference in Florida in September. Giselle conducts group and private classes for more than 100 adults and children each week and also travels with students to tournaments. She plays Grade 2 Pennant and has a sponsorship with Technifibre racquets.

RISING STAR AWARD (30 YEARS AND UNDER) - MARC SOPHOULIS Since completing the Tennis Australia High Performance coaching course in 2008, Marc Sophoulis’s coaching career has gone from strength to strength. Marc is currently the Assistant Head Coach at the Melbourne International Tennis School and the Maribyrnong Sports Academy Tennis Program. In 2010/11, Marc was a Tennis Australia coach mentor and Talent Development Coach and lead presenter (lecturer) for Tennis Australia’s Junior Development coaching courses. On the international scene, Marc has travelled on ATP, WTA and ITF tours with both individuals and groups. He was instrumental in coaching Karan Rastogi of India to his amazing comeback from injury, helping Rastogi to reach a career high of No.284 on the ATP rankings, making him the most successful Indian player in over 30 years. Marc has also worked and travelled with Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova who achieved a WTA high of No.62.

TCA-V/TENNIS VICTORIA/GEORGE GILMORE MEMORIAL CLUB COACH AWARD – PETER OWEN (BURWOOD TENNIS CLUB) Peter has an amazing commitment and passion for the tennis coaching profession and has introduced thousands of children and adults to the game. He has spent 25

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS FEB 12

TCA-V award winners (l to r:) Giselle De Bartolo, Marc Sophoulis, Julie Fidler (TCA-V President), Peter Owen and Lois Plowman.

years as a Head Coach and is the founder of Toptenn Tennis Academy. A Tennis Australia Master Club Professional coach, Peter is also an active tennis player. Peter is a big supporter of Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia’s programs, as evidenced by him being selected as a MLC Tennis Hot Shots Ambassador and a Cardio Tennis Master Trainer. As an administrator, Peter has been on the TCA-V board for eight years (two as President) and was recently appointed as a co-opted director on Tennis Victoria’s Board.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE - LOIS PLOWMAN Lois Plowman has a long and proud history of involvement in tennis as a player, coach and administrator. Among many achievements as a player, Lois was the Victorian No.1 junior player (1972), played and won State Grade Pennant (as it was previously known as) on a number of occasions (1977-79), played the Australian Open (1971) and played Wimbledon qualifying (1973-75). Lois started as a coach in 1977 and in 1979 she completed the TCA-V Club Professional Diploma course. Over the years she has coached at Dandenong Rec., Springvale Uniting, Chelsea Heights, Narre Warren North, Berwick and Upper Beaconsfield. From 1996-1998 she was the Coach/ Manager of the 14/u National World Youth Tennis and 16/u World Youth Cup teams. From 2000-2003 she was the Coach/

Manager of the Mary Hawton Cup team and from 2003-2004 was the Coach/Manager of the Wayne Reid Cup team. In 2003 Lois was named the TCA-V Female Coach of the Year and in 2007 was awarded by the TCA-V for 15 years of service.

LEGEND INDUCTEE – NORM CAHILL Norm was coached by Brian Slattery from 1946-1953 and represented Victoria in the Linton Cup from 1949-1950. He played A Grade Pennant for Royal South Yarra Tennis Club and played singles and doubles in the British Hardcourt Championships in England in 1954. He represented Victoria in interstate veterans tennis and won a gold medal in singles at the World Masters Games in 2002. Norm became a professional coach in 1961 and was the co-founder (with Dennis Lemke) of Tennis Training Camps of Australia. He was the Head Coach at Wesley College in Glen Waverley for 34 years, the Head Coach of the Victorian Country Tennis Association for 15 years and is currently coaching at Puckapunyal Army Base and is working with the Kids Tennis Foundation in country centres. Norm also played an important role off the court. He was the General Secretary and Tournament Manager of Darling Downs Tennis Association in Toowoomba from 1959-1965, a Board Member and Treasurer of the Tennis Professional Association of Australia (TPAA) and owner of the Cahill Tennis Coaching Centre in Glen Waverley from 1964-1989.

FACILITIES

The journey for Lancefield’s court refurbishment project The building of tennis courts for Lancefield Tennis Club has been more than just a project - it has been a journey with a few lessons learned by everyone involved. “We embarked on this journey thinking that we needed to upgrade our four maintenance intensive en-tout-cas courts, which were suffering badly with the water restrictions and the passage of time,” said Roger Barr, Committee Member at Lancefield Tennis Club. The club obtained a quote for $140,000 to resurface its four courts with synthetic grass. Many members were sad to see the en-tout-cas courts go, but the realities of maintenance and water were impacting on the club’s operations. Thanks to some lobbying by local councillors, the club received $120,000 of Federal Stimulus Funding that formed part of a package obtained by the Macedon Ranges Shire. In addition, the club had $30,000 of its own funds to put toward the project, mainly due to the efforts of a group of members called the ‘fantastic four’ - Lorraine Kraus, Kaylene Cruise, Carmel Dreger and Faye Parks. “We thought beauty – we’re home and hosed. Four new courts are just a stone’s throw away,” said Barr. Tennis Victoria’s Technical Advisory Service was appointed to the role of Project Manager and started a close working relationship with the club and council. 2MH Consulting conducted a comprehensive assessment of the entire existing four-court complex via

a Tennis Victoria Technical Services Facility Audit and Report, that highlighted areas of non-compliance regarding the existing courts and design errors that needed correction. The next step was to complete a site survey of the courts, including the lights and surrounds. “Mick [Hassett from 2MH Consulting] came back to us and told us that the courts were too narrow, there wasn’t enough run off and the fences would have to be moved. The lights, which the club had worked hard to purchase just a few years earlier, were too dim and not in the right position and poles would have to be moved,” said Barr. “We could see our hard earned $30,000 disappearing off into the distance.” The club’s members were faced with the option of settling for second rate facilities, or a new facility that offered the club and community some of the best tennis courts in the surrounding region. The club, council and 2MH Consulting sent out two tenders, one for two courts and one for four. The tenders came back and the project was short $110,000 to get four courts done properly. Graham Treadwell, Macedon Ranges Shire Team Leader for Recreation who had been supporting and guiding the club through the project, advised that the Shire could see the value in getting all four courts done at the same time. He advised that the Macedon Ranges Shire would match any fundraising done by the club. “The Lancefield Community is quite amazing. We didn’t have to take out a bank loan as we initially thought,” said Barr.

“We received support in the form of interest free loans from the Lancefield Neighbourhood House, the Lancefield Mercury and from club members who loaned $15,000 of their own money to the club to ensure the success of the project.” A structured Fundraising Committee was set up with the assistance of Sports Focus in Bendigo who broke the $55,000 goal down into more manageable targets based on the six pillars of fundraising - donations, grants, community/business partnerships, membership, special events and earned income. Due to an unforseen tree stump root system found in the centre of the four courts, and a problem with the base of a new court that had been laid seven years ago, extra soil/ material had to be removed and extra stone brought in and compacted. This was to ensure the base of the courts wouldn’t move around, destroy the surface, and force the club into further works to rectify the problem areas. In total, the cost of resurfacing the four new courts was approximately $300,000. “We could have maybe saved a few dollars here and there, but if you are going to spend around $250,000 on a project, you want it to be right and our new courts are right. They are wonderfully finished, comply with every regulation and we are very proud of them. They are also great to play on,” said Barr. As a result of this project, Lancefield has a state-of-the-art set of tennis courts that are a real credit to the community, the club’s membership is increasing and more people are enjoying the wonderful sport of tennis. “I would like to say that Mick Hassett and Kellie Duff from 2MH Consulting have been wonderful to work with and the quality of this project is a testament to their knowledge, planning and attention to detail,” said Barr. “They meticulously oversaw every stage of the project and kept us up-to-date on its progress.

The new courts at Lancefield Tennis Club are state of the art and able to be enjoyed by the whole community.

“I would also like to thank Graham Treadwell for his support and guidance through, what for us, was a daunting process and we thank him sincerely for his efforts.”

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AWARDS REGIONAL

Regional tennis talent on show

THE 2012 FOUNDATION CUP

t has been a busy time of late for the team delivering Tennis Victoria’s Regional Team events, with six of the eight events taking place in the latter half of the year.

Held in Sydney during the Apia International, the Victorian boys team finished in third, whilst the girls finished in second place.

Giving juniors in all age ranges the chance to represent their local metropolitan association or country region, these prestigious events give players the opportunity to train, travel and compete as part of a team. Competition is based on a round-robin format, ensuring players get to play a lot of tennis. Tennis Victoria would like to congratulate all the players who participated and thank the venues for hosting these important playing opportunities for juniors. Here’s a quick look at the tournaments played recently:

10/U WAYNE ARTHURS CUP Mixed metropolitan association and regional event, Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, 10-11 December, 2011: North Suburban Junior TA 4-35 d BaysideMoorabbin 2-34

15/U AMBASSADORS CUP Mixed regional event, Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club, 27-28 November, 2011: Loddon Campaspe 4-41 d Barwon 2-31

13/U FOUNDATION CUP* Girls’ regional event, held at the Bairnsdale Tennis Club, 13–14 November, 2011: Barwon 5-10-71 d Central Highlands 1-3-39

The 2012 Victorian team members were:

The Australian Open trophies made a stop at the Wayne Arthurs Cup

13/U JOHN FITZGERALD CUP* Boys’ regional event, Ballarat Regional Tennis Centre, 30-31 October, 2011: Central Gippsland 3-25 d Loddon Campaspe 1-20

11/U FRANK SEDGMAN CUP Mixed metropolitan association and regional event, Tennis Ballarat, 6–7 August, 2011: North Eastern Junior TA 4-26 d Eastern Region Tennis 2-23

12/U, 14/U, 16/U ASSOCIATIONS AND REGIONAL TEAMS CHALLENGE Mixed metropolitan association and regional event, Traralgon Tennis Association, 11–13 June 2011: Waverley Tennis 13-121 d Eastern Region Tennis 5-77

• • • • • • • •

Josh Charlton (Central Gippsland) Isaac Watson (Loddon Campaspe) Lachlan Carroll (Northern Mallee) Zac Urquhart (South West) Andrine Holt-Crossman (Loddon Campaspe) Nicole Mullen (Barwon) Hannah Heath (Central Highlands) Layla Simmie (Goulburn)

The Team Managers were John and Julie Glynn. * From the John Fitzgerald and the Foundation Cup, a regional state team was selected by Tennis Victoria to compete in the Foundation Cup interstate challenge event. Supported by the Australian Fed Cup Foundation, the Foundation Cup is an annual state teams’ event comprising of four boys and four girls from the 13/u age group. Competition is in a round-robin format, with ties consisting of four singles and two doubles rubbers. The Judy Dalton Medal is awarded to the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

Barwon makes it four in a row finals, with most events forced to be decided by the toss of a coin, which entertained many in the final presentation.

The 56th Victorian Inter-regional Country Championships were a tremendous success at the Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club from 6-8 January, 2012. The championships once again brought together Victoria’s 11 country regions and its finest junior and senior players to compete in this prestigious annual representative teams event.

The tournament now heads to Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club for the 2013 Championships hosted by the Northern Mallee region.

2012 FINAL REGION POINTS TABLE The victorious Barwon team with their trophy.

With increased entries and a strong field, the competition was hot with each region having some great individual results and spectators enjoying some terrific lawn tennis matches over three days.

by the Goulburn Region. The Cooke Shield for the most improved region went to East Gippsland for the second year in a row, with their 4th place finish building on strong performances with a small team last year.

In the end, it was the Barwon Region that ended up on top, taking out the 2012 title for the fourth consecutive time, closely followed

After the stage was set for a magnificent finals day, poor weather conditions on the last day prevented the completion of most

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS FEB 12

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Barwon 180.25 Goulburn 146.5 Loddon Campaspe 128.25 East Gippsland 90.75 South West 89 Mornington Peninsula 87.5 Wimmera 81.75 Central Gippsland 81.25 Northern Mallee 71 North East 70 Central Highlands 67.75

ADMINISTRATOR 15

Member benefits

MONTHLY PRIZE WINNERS Congratulations to the following Tennis Victoria members who have been randomly selected from our database and won a tennis pack. To read more about the winners, visit the Tennis Victoria website: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership. July - David Arnold, Ardrie Park Combined Churches TC August - James Oklander, Beaumaris Lawn TC September - Justine Dalla Riva, Regent TC October - Janine Harrison, Kinglake TC November - Suzie Taryan, Frankston TC December - congratulations to the following members who won a double ground pass to Australian Open 2012 in our special festive season prize draw: Conrad Dickson (Eildon Park TC) James Falla (Brooklyn TC) Mikala Shuttleworth (Frankston TC) Cameron Gastin (Willison Park TC) Noel Hecker (Panton Hill TC) Lachlan Katerelos (Gladstone Park TC) Lucrezia Tate (Kew TC) Danny Lee (Carlton Gardens TC) Zak Gruevski (Epping TC) Arvind Vatsa (East Burwood TC) Dawn Dethridge (St Peters Toorak TC) Gunther Burghardt (Hurlingham Park TC) Nola Hogan (Keilor TC) Issy Bilal (North Park TC) Linley Tomasini (Lower Plenty TC) Bridget Reinmuth (Airport West TC) Cassie Bengough (Liston TC) Andrew Gorecki (Hadfield TC) Nina Cipriani (Hillside TC) Laurie Budd (Parkdale TC)

PLAYER OFFERS WIMBLEDON, FRENCH OPEN AND US OPEN BALLOTS Tennis Victoria members are eligible to apply for Wimbledon, French Open and US Open tickets via the Tennis Australia ballot. More information is available via the Tennis Australia website tennis.com.au/ tournaments/grand-slams/tickets.

NEW - CURNOW TENNIS

PRELLI RACQUETS

Grand Slam offer – exclusive and new to Tennis Victoria members! Smash through the confusion of brands, materials and sales jargon. Go to Curnow Tennis and ‘get it right the first time’, by not buying the wrong equipment!

Members can benefit from Prelli’s 20 years of experience and take advantage of:

Tennis Victoria members can save 10% off everything in store, plus make any purchase in February that includes a Graphite racquet and you will also receive: • A free racquet bag to the value of $40 • Free stringing of your new Graphite racquet, valued at $35 with exclusive stringing methods to enhance your performance • Free string tension guarantee • Free grip adjustment and fitting service • And of course, a free on-court demo with trained staff For more information or location details, visit: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership.

NEW - TENNIS WAREHOUSE AUSTRALIA Tennis Warehouse Australia is one of the largest tennis retailers in Australia, servicing customers via both their website and their retail store in Fitzroy. They offer a huge range and expert advice. They are now offering free shipping on all online orders to Tennis Victoria members. Visit www.tenniswarehouse.com.au and use the gift voucher code ship-tvm to redeem this offer.

HOT OFF THE COURT Tennis Victoria’s exclusive player e-newsletter, Hot off the Court, is packed with up-to-date tennis information and special offers. If you are not receiving Hot off the Court and would like to, please forward your full name, My Tennis ID and email address to vicnews@tennis.com.au or call (03) 8420 8420.

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE Tennis Victoria members can subscribe to this high-quality publication with a special offer of $60 for 12 issues. This is a saving of $15 off the usual 12-month subscription rate, and $30 off the total cover price. To take out your subscription, simply complete and return the subscription form available at: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/ membership.

• a flat re-stringing rate of $20 per re-string (excludes string) • a 10% discount on tennis racquets and accessories (excludes sale items) Simply show your Tennis Victoria membership card in store to access these offers. Visit Prelli Racquets at 207-209 Victoria Parade, Collingwood today.

RECOVER SPORTS MEDICINE Receive a 10% discount on physiotherapy treatments at Recover Sports Medicine Clinics (Richmond, Glen Waverley and Bayside) by presenting your membership card. For more information or location details, visit: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership.

INTREPID TRAVEL For travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world – real people, real cultures and incredible real life experiences. Intrepid Travel offers Tennis Victoria Members 7% off their global adventures and will donate an additional 3% to the Neale Fraser Foundation from all bookings received. Full offer details are available online at: www.intrepidtravel.com/tennisvic.

CLUB OFFER NEW - WINNING EDGE Winning Edge is a premier supplier of promotional products, awards and trophies. As the preferred presentations and awards partner of Tennis Victoria, Winning Edge is proud to offer all Tennis Victoria affiliated clubs, associations and commercial centres 15% off their already competitive prices across their range of high quality products. Winning Edge also has special pricing for Tennis Victoria affiliates and packages can be tailored to your needs. To view their wide range of products, visit www.winningedge.net.au or their showroom at level 9, 230 Collins Street, Melbourne. For more information, contact Winning Edge on 1300 654 491 or email office@winningedge.net.au.

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