VTN January 2010

SAVING MONEYClubs switching to Momentum Energy

BIRTHDAYSCelebrating milestones

disabilitiesRound-robin Mini-Circuit

juniorsVics dominate Spring Nationals

regionalIsolated no more

newsWater Conservation Plan update

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V I C T O R I A ’ S O N L Y M A G A Z I N E D E D I C A T E D T O G R A S S R O O T S T E N N I S

V I C T O R I A N T E N N I S N E W S

We all thought the above average spring rains across much of Victoria that pushed Melbourne’s reserves toward 40% might have heralded the relaxation of water restrictions. However, this was met with a record breaking November heat wave which many have seen as an ominous precursor to the summer season. This has put any thought of downgrading water restrictions on the back burner for some time to come.

Tennis Victoria once again met with the water retailer steering group to discuss our sport’s future Water Conservation Plan. Over the past three years, the tennis industry has developed a strong working relationship with the water authorities and, based on the outcomes of our recent meeting, this is set to continue.

Based on the response by clubs to the current Water Conservation Plan, the water retailers and Tennis Victoria would like to simplify the process for the development of club-based Water Conservation Plans moving forward. This change will come into effect from 1 July 2010. The intention is to acknowledge those clubs who have invested in water-saving technologies by relaxing the need to provide evidence of court treatment. Other clubs will still be required to treat their courts in order for all red porous courts to remain open.

All clubs must still continue to reduce or keep their water usage to 50% of pre Stage 3a water restriction levels. With this in mind, water retailers and Tennis Victoria are working toward the adoption of an annual allocation from 1 July 2010 onwards.

An information notice providing the full details of the revised water conservation program for tennis will be sent to all clubs and be available on the Tennis Victoria website (more information is also included in this issue on page 14).

FROM THE TOP

CONTACT US

Tennis Victoria Phone (03) 8420 8420 Fax (03) 8420 8499 Email [email protected]

Locked Bag 6001 Richmond VIC 3121

tennis.com.au/vic

Ian Clark, Tennis Victoria – CEO

OUR SUPPORTERS

news 42009 Tennis Victoria Annual General MeetingWorld’s best come to play at Kooyong

juniors 6Junior Pennant FinalsVictorians dominate Spring NationalsJunior Regional CupsPrelli Award Winners

participation 9Proving there is no barrier to playing tennisTennis a hit out west

regional 10MLC Tennis Hot Shots a hit in KyabramIsolated no moreMums’ time to play

clubs 12A history remembered – Healesville Tennis Club 120 years on

120 years at Royal Park

History takes the front seat with the Mayor in Wantirna…

Moving with momentum

New uniforms create a buzz

Introducing a new service for clubs looking to develop facilities

Changes to the Water Conservation Plan – requirements for red porous tennis courts

administrator 15Member BenefitsIn Memory

THE VTN T EAM

Editor Lisa Winkler Design Plutonium Communications Cover Belinda Woolcock Front Cover Photography David Jansz

Victorian Tennis News is published by Tennis Victoria four 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

NEXT ISSUE: APRIL 2010

ISSUE 75 JANUARY 2010

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JANUARY’10

4 NEWS

2009 Tennis Victoria Annual General MeetingThe 2009 Tennis Victoria Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Wednesday 7 October at Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club, where the highlight of the night was the presentation of awards, including the Victorian Centenary of Service Award, the Gordon Moffatt Award and the Pennant and Junior Pennant Players of the Year Awards.

The 2009 Kevin Howard Award recipients, Yarraville Tennis Club Seniors Grade 3. Photographer: Andrew Gyopar

Tennis Victoria President David Stobart presents Hamish Macmillan with the Victorian Centenary of Tennis Award. Photographer: Andrew Gyopar

THE VICTORIAN CENTENARY OF TENNIS AWARDTo commemorate the centenary year of Victorian tennis in 1980, the Victorian Tennis Association (Tennis Victoria) initiated an award to be presented on an annual basis. It was decided that the recipient of this award should be a Victorian (or someone who has lived the majority of their life in Victoria), with consideration given to an administrator, supporter or player whose contribution to the sport of tennis through personal influence or exertion has significantly enhanced or advanced the standing or popularity of tennis locally, nationally or internationally.

The Victorian Centenary of Tennis Award for 2008 was awarded to Hamish Macmillan.

HAMISH MACMIllANHamish Macmillan’s involvement in tennis began at the age of 18 when he became involved at the local club level at Batterham Park Tennis Club in Boronia.

He went on to serve as President of the Ferntree Gully and District Tennis Association for 18 years.

Between 1979 and 1983 he was on both the Tennis Victoria Finance and Tournament Committees.

Further, he was appointed Treasurer of Tennis Victoria in 1983, a position he held until he was made President in 1996. He spent eight years as President, retiring in 2004.

Hamish also held numerous positions with Tennis Australia, including Councillor from 1985-2004 (representing Victoria) and was on the Board of Directors from 1997 to 2004.

He received a Tennis Australia National Award for Service to the Game in 2005.

As proof of his unending commitment to tennis, Hamish is a Life Member of Tennis Victoria, the Ferntree Gully and District Tennis Association, Eastern Region Tennis, Batterham Park Tennis Club and Canterbury Presbyterian Tennis Club.

THE GORDON MOFFATT AWARDThe Gordon Moffatt Award is given to one Victorian boy and girl each year to recognise junior excellence in all facets of an athlete’s tennis development.

Successful recipients of this award must have displayed outstanding sportsmanship, good demeanour both on and off the court, be correctly attired and have consistently demonstrated proper respect for coaches, officials and administrators. A positive attitude to training, discipline and strong match results at tournaments are also taken into account. The qualifying period for the 2008 award was 1 February 2008 to 31 January 2009.

Sally Peers and Stephen Hoh were recipients of the Gordon Moffatt Award for 2008.

SAllY PEERSComing into the award period, Sally was the highest ranked female player in Australia for 16/u girls. Off the strength of this ranking, and tournament results, she was accepted into the 2008 AIS Pro Tour Tennis Program and began the tough transition from junior events to women’s open events.

In February, the signs looked promising at the Pro-Circuit event in Berri (South Australia) where Sally reached the women’s singles quarterfinals after winning through the qualifying rounds.

A major highlight was being a doubles finalist at the Girls’ Junior Championships at Wimbledon in July 2008.

Upon returning to Australia, Sally made the singles semifinals of the Pro Tour event in Mt Gambier, won the Women’s Open Singles at the Rockhampton Australian Money Tournament (AMT) and then reached the singles semifinals at the Pro Tour event in Rockhampton.

Towards the end of 2008, Sally suffered a torn shoulder muscle. She still managed to end the year with a ranking of 445 in the world and recovered strongly to make the doubles semifinals at the Australian Open Juniors in January 2009.

STEPHEN HOH

Photographer: Andrew Gyopar

Stephen was one of the top boys at the National Academy – Melbourne during 2008 and always set a high standard with his training intensity and discipline.

Known for his humility and modesty, Stephen possesses the qualities that many of the professional players exhibit, including a steely determination to give 100% every time he takes the court.

Like so many of our Victorian juniors making the tough transition to the open ranks, Stephen spent much of 2008 competing in Pro Tour events.

In February of 2008, this determination paid off in Mildura where Stephen received a wildcard and competed in his first main draw Pro Tour tournament.

Throughout June and July, Stephen qualified into a number of Futures tournaments in Spain and the United Kingdom.

The other special highlight of the year for Stephen occurred at the men’s Futures event in Gympie in September, where he made the singles quarterfinals.

In December at Melbourne Park, as part of the December Showdown, Stephen competed in the 18/u nationals, making the quarterfinals of the tournament, before losing in a tight three setter.

Also at the showdown, Stephen had the privilege to play against Victorian Peter Luczak (currently ranked in the top 100 in the world) in the Australian Open Wildcard play-off, losing a respectable 5-7 2-6

Two final results completed Stephen’s award period. He reached the round of 16 in the singles and doubles at the Traralgon ITF Junior Grade 1 event and the round of 32 in the Australian Open Juniors.

tennis.com.au/vic

5NEWS

World’s best come to play at KooyongNovak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Fernando Verdasco have been confirmed for the 2010 AAMI Classic at Kooyong to be played from 13-16 January.

Djokovic, del Potro and Tsonga will be playing at Kooyong for the first time and will be joined by Fernando

Gonzalez, Tommy Haas and Robin Soderling, who is also making his debut.

“We are delighted to welcome Novak, Jo-Wilfried and Robin to Kooyong for the first time,” said Tournament Director Colin Stubbs.

Roger Federer is still to confirm if he will be playing at the event for the sixth time.

“I have been asked by Roger to keep a spot open for him in January’s field,” said Stubbs.

“He has not yet decided on his Australian Open preparation because of the recent birth of his twin girls, Myla and Charlene, with wife Mirka Vavrinec. Naturally I said I would do so and clarity is not expected until early in the new year.”

Currently ranked No.3 in the world, Novak Djokovic has had a good year to date. He won the Dubai tournament in February, took out the inaugural Serbian Open in May and finished the year strongly with wins at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris, and the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel where he beat Roger Federer in the final.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, currently ranked No.10 in the world, will be a popular newcomer to the AAMI Classic eight-man field. The 24 year-old Frenchman won the hearts of Australian fans in 2008 when he reached the final of the Australian Open, losing to Djokovic in four sets.

Current US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro was a late inclusion after the withdrawal of Marcos Baghdatis. Ranked No.5 in the world, del Potro is one of the most exciting players on the ATP Tour at the moment and is sure to excite fans.

Fernando Verdasco heads back to Kooyong after finishing third at the 2009 event. Currently ranked eighth in the world, the Spaniard stunned Rafael Nadal (and the rest of the tennis world) at Australian Open 2009 by almost defeating him in an epic semifinal match that lasted a record five hours, 14 minutes.

Crowd favourite Fernando Gonzalez will be back for his fourth AAMI Classic appearance. He began 2009 strongly, reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open and went on to win the Vina del Mar tournament in his home country. He reached the semifinals at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic (Washington), Barcelona Open Banco Sabadell, Rome Masters and the French Open.

Robin Soderling has had one of his best years to date on the ATP circuit, reaching a career high ranking of No.9 and reaching a Grand Slam final for the first time at the French Open. He followed up by making the fourth round at Wimbledon, taking out his fourth career title in Bastad and reaching the quarterfinals in Washington.

Tommy Haas will be making his fifth appearance at the event. The 31 year-old German struck a “purple patch” in 2009, winning in Halle and reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon and in Los Angeles.

Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club has been undergoing renovations since the 2009 AAMI Classic, and President Ian Hill is confident everything will be ready on time.

“The club renovations are progressing according to schedule, with the anticipated handover prior to Christmas,” said Hill.

“We look forward to showcasing the club to members, players, media and corporate supporters during the 2010 AAMI Classic.”

Play will begin at 11am for the first three days and 1pm on the final day. More information about the event can be found online at www.aamiclassic.com.au .

Tennis Victoria members have the opportunity to get a 10% discount and preferential seating (sections 9, 22 and 23) on General Admission tickets to the AAMI Classic at Kooyong (13-16 January 2010). To access this offer, visit tennis.com.au/vic (Membership/Member Benefits) to download your instructions or call us on (03) 8420 8420.

2009 PENNANT PlAYERS OF THE YEARWomen’s

Grade Player Club

State Ewa Radzikowska Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club No 2

1 Lauren Withers Essendon Tennis Club

2 Katherine Ulanowski Essendon Tennis Club

3 Zoe Hives Eaglemont Tennis Club

4 Rachel McRae Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club

5 Tahlia Williams Monash University Tennis Club

6 Bethany Pederick Bruce Park Tennis Club

7 Nadia Oliver Highett Tennis Club

Women’s Cathy Michelini East Preston Park Open Tennis Club Doubles

men’s

State Matthew Coghlan Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club No 1

1 Matthew Holschier Geelong Lawn Tennis Club

2 Antony Capewell Dendy Park Tennis Club No 1

3 Frederick Burwood Tennis Club Chamberlain

4 Matthew Lancashire East Coburg Tennis Club

5 Adam Freeman Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club

6 Jason Gardner Balnarring Tennis Club

7 Alex Stavropoulos Kings Park Tennis Club

8 Adam Matthews Burwood Tennis Club

9 Ryan Hassan Manchester Heights Tennis Club

10 Ben Watson Willison Park Tennis Club

11 Terry Manoleras Liston Tennis Club

12 Jack Thiessen North Ringwood Tennis Club

13 Robert Ilett Whites Lane Tennis Club

14 Wayne Curtis Centenary Park Tennis Club

Seniors 1 Paul McNamee MCC Tennis Section

Seniors 2 Rudolph Villani Greensborough Tennis Club

Seniors 3 Richard Round Yarraville Tennis Club

Vu Tran Yarraville Tennis Club

Seniors 4 Robert Jamieson Glen Iris Valley Recreation Club

Seniors 5 Darrell Oosterhuis East Malvern Tennis Club

Stephen Dodd East Malvern Tennis Club

Seniors 6 John Heazlewood North Ringwood Tennis Club

Seniors 7 Gregory John Yarraville Tennis Club

KEVIN HOWARD AWARD – YARRAVIllE TENNIS ClUb SENIORS GRADE 3Tony Campanelli Robert Greig John Gambardella Loc Pham Richard Round Vu Tran

2008 JUNIOR PENNANT PlAYERS OF THE YEARBoys

Jordan Cowling Waverley Tennis

Girls

Natalie-Frances Gennissen Eastern Region


6

Woolcock won the girls’ 14/u national title with an emphatic 7-6(5) 3-6 6-1 victory over the

No.1 seed, Kassandra Dunser from the Northern Territory.

“I was really pleased with my result. My performance throughout the week was very good and I feel like I’m stepping up a level in my game,” said Woolcock after the win.

“It was the first time I played her (Dunser), but I was the more relaxed player. She was playing well in the first two sets but I was able to step up my game and sort out what I was doing in the third and got the good result.”

JUNIORS

Polmans and Huffman reached their respective 12/u singles finals without dropping a set.

Polmans had a tough three-set victory over Jake Delaney from New South Wales. After losing the first set 5-7, he fought back to take the next two 6-1 6-2.

Polmans celebrated his win with a few “c’mons” and was given a treat when he got home.

“I was able to stay up as long as I wanted and I went to bed at 11.30pm,” he said.

Huffman had an easier match in her final, defeating the No.2 seed, Naiktha Bains from Queensland in straight sets, 6-4 6-0.

It was a very anti-climatic end to an exciting season of competition that involved over 120 teams and 800

players. With teams from nine associations competing, players were able to compete against a different group of players to those they would normally play against, giving them invaluable match-play experience.

“I know many of the teams enjoyed playing in this unique competition and welcomed the opportunity to compete against players from other associations that they had little knowledge of before the season,” said Jason Simmons, Tennis Victoria’s Manager of Junior Competitions and Tournaments.

Teams who finished at the top of the ladder after the home and away season were declared the section winners and presented with their trophies. The 2009 Junior Pennant Players of the Year were also recognised.

“Whilst not being able to get results in any of the finals was disappointing, it was great to be able to recognise the performances of the seven players who were awarded ‘Player of the Year’ titles for their great performances throughout the season,” said Simmons.

To recognise players from all age groups, the 2009 Junior Pennant Player of the Year award was extended from the 16A section

to include all ‘A’ sections. Many of this year’s recipients had outstanding seasons, not dropping a set in any of their singles or doubles matches.

As Victoria’s largest metropolitan inter-association competition, Junior Pennant offers a 10 week competition for junior players in the 10/u, 12/u, 14/u and 16/u age groups.

The 2010 Junior Pennant season will commence in late August with entries being coordinated by each of the metropolitan associations. If you would like to be involved as a club or player, please contact your local association.

2009 JUNIOR PENNANT RESUlTSSection WinnerbOYS16A Waverley Tennis16B Waverley Tennis16C Peninsula Red16D NEJTA14A Eastern Region14B Peninsula14C NEJTA14D Waverley Tennis Black14E NEJTA Black12A Waverley Tennis12B NEJTA12C Waverley Tennis12D NEJTA Red

MIxED10A Eastern Region

GIRlS16A Waverley Tennis White16B NSJTA14A Berwick14B Barwon14C NSJTA12A Waverley Tennis12B Peninsula

2009 JUNIOR PENNANT PlAYERS OF THE YEARbOYS16A Jack Noonan (North Suburban)14A William Ma (Waverley Tennis)12A Aaden Hughes (Waverley Tennis)

GIRlS16A Stephanie Hughes (Waverley Tennis)14A Melissa Esguerra (North Suburban)12A Destanee Aiava (Waverley Tennis)

MIxED10A Stefan Aleksic (North Eastern Junior)

Junior Pennant FinalsFor the first time in over 20 years, Tennis Victoria’s Junior Pennant competition was unable to complete any finals matches due to heavy rain on Sunday 22 November.

Victorians dominate Spring NationalsBelinda Woolcock, Marc Polmans and Sylvia Huffman have won their first national singles titles at the Optus 12/u and 14/u Spring Nationals in Perth.

“We are thrilled for Belinda, Marc and Sylvia that they have secured their first national singles titles in Perth,” said Nick Hinneberg, Tennis Victoria’s Executive Manager of Operations.

“It’s a great result for all their hard work and we look forward to seeing many future tennis achievements.

“A special mention also goes to Socrates Tsoronis (semifinals), Nicholas Opasinov (quarterfinals) and Katerina Valos (quarterfinals) who all had great tournaments.”

Marc Polmans on the way to winning his first national title.

Nine year-old Destanee Aiava was awarded the 2009 Junior Pennant Player of the Year in the girls’ 12A section.

tennis.com.au/vic

7 JUNIORS

JOHN FITzGERAlD CUPCentral Gippsland secured their first John Fitzgerald Cup with a tight win over host region, and tournament favourite, Barwon.

Finishing eighth in 2008, Central Gippsland were looking to make amends, dominating the round-robin matches, and dropping only one set in the four ties. Their opponent in the final, Barwon, secured their place in the decider with narrow wins against Loddon Campaspe and Wimmera.

Samuel Parry easily defeated Alistair Salerno 8-1 in the opening singles rubber to give Barwon a good early lead. In what later proved to be a decisive moment in the final, Central Gippsland’s Daniel Axnick saved three match points against Nelson Roso and took the match 9-8 in one of the hardest fought matches of the event.

David Hough sent his Central Gippsland teammates into the deciding doubles match with a one-rubber lead by defeating Edward Crofts 8-6 in the third singles match. In a winner take all doubles match, the Central Gippsland pair of Jarryd Garlick and Alistair Salerno continued their unbeaten run in doubles matches defeating James Fitzpatrick and Samuel Parry 8-3.

A highlight for the players was the attendance of John Fitzgerald who hoped he could impart some wisdom on the boys.

“This is an event I am proud to be involved with,” said Fitzgerald.

FOUNDATION CUPBarwon successfully defended their win at the 2008 Foundation Cup with a narrow two-game victory over Mornington Peninsula in this year’s event.

Both teams went into the final undefeated in their four round-robin matches, Barwon dropping only one set and Mornington Peninsula two.

With a large crowd watching, the number one players for both teams battled it out to give their teammates a good lead. Barwon’s Ramona Mataruga proved to be the more consistent player, defeating Briony McKenzie 8-1.

The tie came down to the doubles match, with Mornington Peninsula needing to win the game 8-1 to level the tie. Briony McKenzie and Danielle McIntyre led 6-1 and looked set to force a decider before Barwon’s Caitlin Lennon and Emily Rankin were able to steady the ship and win two more games to give their side victory.

The other play-offs proved to be just as close with two-game victories to the Central Highlands over East Gippsland for third and Glenelg over Central Gippsland for seventh.

AMbASSADORS CUPAfter an exciting two days of play at the Rye Tennis Club, the 2009 Ambassadors Cup final between Central Gippsland and East Gippsland was a tight affair, coming down to the last two mixed doubles matches.

Junior Regional CupsOver the recent months, many juniors from around Victoria competed in three of Tennis Victoria’s Junior Regional Cups. Here is a summary of how the events went.

Eight players who competed in the 13/u John Fitzgerald and Foundation Cups have been selected to represent regional Victoria at the Foundation Cup national event to be played in Sydney during the Medibank International. Congratulations to the following players:

boysSamuel Parry (Barwon) Alastair Salerno (Central Gippsland) Regan More (Loddon Campaspe) Oscar McDonald (Wimmera) Team Manager: Andrew King

GirlsRamona Mataruga (Barwon) Caitlin Lennon (Barwon) Zoe Hives (Central Highlands) Briony McKenzie (Mornington Peninsula) Team Manager:Julie Glynn

Central Gippsland entered the final as favourites, dropping only four sets in their four round-robin matches. East Gippsland secured their birth in the all-Gippsland final having defeated Barwon by three games in the semifinal.

The first girls and boys singles matches were evenly divided by the two teams with Central Gippsland’s James Sheppard beating Mitchell Allman 8-5 and East Gippsland’s Stephanie Barnett saving two match points to narrowly overcome Sophie Grumley 9-8. Central Gippsland’s Nick Tile and Emma Waite gave their team a 3-1 lead heading in to the mixed sets by defeating Jamie Kemp and Elizabeth Shanahan 8-5 and 8-2 respectively.

East Gippsland kept the tie alive winning the first mixed set 9-8 but the Central Gippsland pair of Tile and Waite settled to win the deciding match 8-2 over Kemp and Shanahan to seal Central Gippsland’s first ever victory at the Ambassadors Cup.

Winners of the 2009 Foundation Cup, Barwon.

13/u John Fitzgerald Cup competitors were joined by John Fizgerald.


8 JUNIORS

Prelli Award WinnersLorenzo Alforque and Isabella Beischer are the joint winners of the 28th Prelli Racquets Achievement Award and will share the prize of $500 in vouchers.

The Prelli Award is a collaboration between Tennis Victoria and Prelli Racquets, established to recognise the achievements of talented junior Victorian tennis players who also display outstanding sporting qualities such as hard work, sportsmanship and determination for success.

lORENzO AlFORqUELorenzo Alforque began playing tennis at five years of age at the Laverton Tennis Club to relieve his family of the constant pounding of tennis balls on the side of the house.

Ten years on and Alforque is a tennis talent on the rise with his hard work beginning to pay off in the second half of 2009.

Prior to the Darwin International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior events in July, Alforque did not hold an ITF ranking. A few months later, he now has a very respectable Junior ITF ranking of 617 (November 2009) while being ranked No.2 in Victoria and No.6 in Australia for his birth year.

“He has made some big strides in his game in a short space of time,” said Simon Rea, National Academy – Melbourne Coach.

Alforque was a quarterfinalist in the Hamilton Grade 5 ITF event in New Zealand before repeating that effort two weeks later in the Grade 5 ITF in Gosford (New South Wales).

As a result of all his hard work, Alforque was selected as part of a Tennis Australia team to travel to Singapore and the Phillipines to compete in three more ITF tournaments prior to returning to Melbourne for the 18/u and 16/u nationals at Melbourne Park.

“Lorenzo’s attitude and intensity on the practice court can never be faulted,” said Rea.

ISAbEllA bEISCHERIsabella Beischer has just completed a very important six-month phase in her tennis development. During this time, the 13 year-old was selected by Tennis Australia as a member of a junior team to travel to Europe.

During this tour, Beischer completed a training week in Paris at Roland Garros where she was one of the first athletes to hit on centre court (Court Philippe Chatrier) in the lead up to the French Open.

This was followed up with three events in Slovenia and Italy.

“I enjoyed the challenge of competing against the European girls on clay in Slovenia and Italy,” said Beischer.

“The experience helped to develop my game both technically and tactically.”

This tour was followed by another month on the road competing in New Zealand and New South Wales for her first International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior points. Beischer had a very successful tour which resulted in two quarterfinal appearances.

“She competed and beat many players who had a higher ITF ranking than her, which is an impressive effort,” said Mark Hlawaty, National Academy – Melbourne Coach.

“She has an extraordinary attitude to training and competing which will assist her develop and prosper in the years to come. She continues to work hard each day, and has a terrific support base with her family and private coach David Close.”

Beischer is looking forward to boosting her ITF ranking in 2010 and hopes to one day represent Australia as a member of the Federation Cup team.

tennis.com.au/vic

PARTICIPATION 9

Designed to be an entry-level tournament, the Mini-Circuit provided people with a disability

the opportunity to play competitive tennis, have fun and socialise with others. The round-robin format and the use of low compression balls allowed beginners to also compete in this event.

The Mini-Circuit was made up of three event categories – wheelchair, intellectually disabled (“ID”) and blind. A total of 27 participants of all ages and abilities competed, with every participant playing a minimum of three sets, allowing for plenty of tennis to be played over the course of the afternoon.

Each set was played as the first to six games with no tie-break. A very good level of tennis was played in each event. The wheelchair event fielded five competitors with Danny O’Neil winning without dropping a set all day. Richard Lee, who only dropped one set, was the runner-up.

Building on the success of the program, which was enjoyed by over 70 children, the Multicultural

Tennis Day set out to break down the

barriers that prevent newly arrived communities from accessing organised sport. These barriers can include becoming familiar with a venue, having relevant contacts, knowing what services are offered and what equipment is needed to play.

“In order to introduce these students (and the broader multicultural community of Werribee) to the Werribee Central Tennis Club a Multicultural Tennis Day was held at the club on Sunday 13 September,” said Tim Hatzi, Club and Programs Coordinator at Tennis Victoria.

“Over 70 people from a variety of backgrounds including Karen, Vietnamese, Somali and Indian attended which was great to see.”

Mini-tennis, coaching drills, social doubles and a fastest serve competition were among the activities on offer, ensuring the day catered for all ages and abilities.

Some great links were formed between the club and the community with the leader of the Karen community, Nan Shwe Yi, playing a key role in facilitating communication between the community and the club. Nan was able to facilitate communication designed to find out what the community wants and give the club the opportunity to provide flexible program options to cater for these groups in the future.

The day was a great success with over 20 registrations being taken from participants interested in further tennis opportunities, as well as eight children signing up for coaching lessons. Most importantly, a strong relationship has been developed between the Werribee Central Tennis Club and the multicultural community of Werribee which will hopefully continue to provide a foundation for newly arrived communities in Werribee to access tennis.

Tennis a hit out westA very successful Multicultural Tennis Day was recently held at the Werribee Central Tennis Club to introduce participants from a six-week Western English Language School (WELS) tennis program to their local tennis club.

Enthusiastic players lined up to have a hit of tennis at the Multicultural Tennis Day.

Proving there is no barrier to playing tennisOn Sunday 1 November, Tennis Victoria (with the support of Tennis Australia) ran a Mini-Circuit for people with a disability at Melbourne Park.

The ID event attracted the most participants and was broken up into four separate draws – a men’s advanced draw, two men’s intermediate draws (blue and red), and a women’s draw. The men’s advanced ID event was won by Mark Konnings (who didn’t drop a set), while the runner-up was Mark Carlson. The women’s ID event was won by Sharon Morse, who amazingly did not lose an entire game for the whole day. Karen Hanson was the runner-up who also had a fantastic day, only dropping two games. The men’s intermediate (blue) event was won by Luke Trethowan, with Anthony Distasio the runner-up. Robert Szabo won the men’s intermediate (red) event with Michael Fellows the runner-up.

The blind event was a best of five set match between Daniel Piekarski and Sam Hodson. Despite many close games and super long rallies, Daniel prevailed in straight sets.

“The Mini-Circuit provided a great opportunity to add a competitive angle

Richard Lee enjoyed the Mini-Circuit. Photographer: Andrew Gyopar.

to the Friday night Blind Tennis Program I have been attending,” said Piekarski.

“I enjoyed being able to play tennis in a proper match format for the first time.”

Overall, a fun, action packed day was enjoyed by all participants. Another Mini-Circuit is likely to be held in June 2010 with a deaf and hard of hearing event likely to be added.

Tennis Victoria would like to congratulate all competitors for their great sportsmanship on the day, and thank the four Future Leader volunteers and the parents who assisted with scoring, umpiring and general coordination on the day.


10 REGIONAL

Learning to play tennis through the MLC Tennis Hot Shots Program.

MLC Tennis Hot Shots is proving to be

a big hit in Kyabram.

Running for the first time in Term 4 2009, the club was hoping to have 12 children initially sign up for the

program but had 29 (aged five to nine) join on registration day.

“To have this many new inductees to tennis and our tennis club is fantastic,” said Kerrie Campbell, KLTC Treasurer and MLC Tennis Hot Shots administrator.

“Of the 29 children, only nine of them currently have family playing tennis with KLTC while over half the children are boys and 80% of them would normally have been involved in the local MILO in2CRICKET program.

“We have parents already asking us if we are going to be running the program in other terms so the children can continue on or for new children to join.”

KLTC’s President, Mark Schumann, was one of the driving forces behind the program’s implementation. He was concerned about the drop in junior numbers in recent years and was particularly concerned that tennis seemed to have no real program to compete with those in operation for juniors in other sports.

“Once I heard about the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program I did some research and had discussions with Tennis Victoria and our club coach David Starling,” said Schumann.

MLC Tennis Hot Shots a hit in KyabramKyabram Lawn Tennis Club (KLTC) has recently implemented the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program with great success.

“David and the club came to an agreement that we believe is beneficial to both parties with David running the program on a Saturday morning with our assistance.”

KLTC advertised the program via word of mouth, school newsletters and a brief story in the local newspaper.

“The program has been an amazing success so far,” said Starling.

“We have around 30 kids registered ranging in age and I have no doubt this will continue to grow with more juniors coming into our club in the future, which is very important.

“MLC Tennis Hot Shots is an innovative and well structured program with modified equipment, courts and balls providing a better junior development pathway for kids to get involved, learn the sport and most importantly have fun playing tennis.”

In order to compete with programs such as MILO in2CRICKET, the club decided to put together a pack containing a tennis racquet, drink bottle, tennis ball, sweatbands, poster and the MLC Tennis Hot Shots t-shirt provided by Tennis Australia. The club charged each participant $60 to help fund the giveaway bags with all profits (approximately $25 per student) being put back into the purchase of equipment such as mini-nets and low compression balls which are needed to successfully run the program.

Each week Starling runs the training session as outlined in the MLC Tennis Hot Shots teaching pack with the assistance of three senior club members.

“David is doing a great job coordinating the sessions,” said Campbell.

“We would have liked to have gotten the participants’ parents more involved in the weekly sessions but unfortunately the majority of parents are not tennis orientated. That said, we are still encouraging them to help out where they can.”

Schumann says it is great to see the children wanting to play tennis and really enjoying themselves.

“The club now has the opportunity to involve these new families in our social activities, such as the Christmas party. Long term, this will hopefully result in new members to our club,” he said.

“We strongly recommend to any clubs endeavoring to encourage children to embrace tennis, to give the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program a try. We are already fine tuning our program in the hope that it will be even more successful next year.”

If your club is interested in the running the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program, or would like more information, visit tennis.com.au/vic (Clubs/Programs) or contact the Participation Department on (03) 8420 8420.

tennis.com.au/vic

11 REGIONAL

Isolated no moreTennis Victoria recently visited Elliminyt Tennis Club, Inglewood Tennis Club and Quambatook Lawn Tennis Club (and their surrounding communities) to hold a Community Tennis Day as part of the Isolated Communities Project.

All three days were a great success thanks to the support of the Victorian Country Tennis Association (VCTA), the local volunteers and the local communities who got right behind

the events with some terrific turn outs. There were a large number of children (many of whom were experiencing tennis for the first time) who participated in the clinics and enjoyed the fun activities and games on offer.

“Rural and isolated communities rarely receive visits from state sporting bodies,” said Adam Feiner, Tennis Victoria’s Regional Access Officer.

“The Isolated Communities project is a great opportunity for us to provide a real buzz for these rural communities and deliver a boost for the sport of tennis in their local area.”

Each Community Tennis Day also had an important off-court component featuring a club development workshop and a forum addressing local issues. The club development workshop was run to educate volunteers from the local clubs and associations on ways to grow their tennis club into the future.

John Knight from the Quambatook Lawn Tennis Club was thankful for the opportunity his club had to host a Community Tennis Day. John is one of many club volunteers who have spoken glowingly about the program.

“The Community Tennis Day has been a big winner for our club, the community and the sport of tennis,” said Knight.

“The feedback has been so positive. We had over 40 children attend and they had so much fun gaining valuable tips from the MLC Tennis Hot Shots activities.

“The flow on from this event will give our club a real opportunity to capitalise on growing our membership and delivering new tennis programs like MLC Tennis Hot Shots.”

Feiner expanded on this, saying it was very important for Tennis Victoria to be able to provide ongoing support to this community through access to tennis programs and services.

“A great example is that we leave an MLC Tennis Hot Shots equipment pack with the club and community. As a result, they can go on and deliver the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program at their club.”

Three more Community Tennis Days will be held over summer at the Yaapeet Tennis Club (Wimmera region), Mt Beauty Tennis Club (North East region) and Leongatha Tennis Club (South Gippsland region).

The Isolated Communities Project is an initiative between Tennis Victoria and the State Government to promote and support tennis in isolated communities.

Mums’ time to playLocated a 20 minute drive outside of Mildura, Red Cliffs is a small town with a population of approximately 3000 people.

Dwindling numbers of women playing Saturday afternoon tennis prompted the Red Cliffs Lawn Tennis Club to run the Mums’ Tennis Program in Term 4.

“We ran the Mums’ Tennis Program because we were trying to get more women into our club,” said Karen Sharp, Vice President of the Red Cliffs Lawn Tennis Club.

“We found that women aged 35-45 weren’t playing sport because they’ve always got children to look after.”

Running the Mums’ Tennis Program meant the club could also run the Tiny Tots Program to allow women to participate without having to find child care. Volunteers were vital to the success of the program. Thankfully the club was able to call on a group of about 10 dedicated volunteers who were able to assist.

“Having the volunteers was great, but it was comforting to know the mums would still be there on hand if something came up (with the children) that the volunteers couldn’t handle,” said Sharp.

In addition to the promotion provided by Tennis Victoria, the club advertised through the Mallee Sports Assembly, sent e-mails to club members and went to the local Sunday market to spread the word. They also sent e-mails to the local kindergartens and primary schools.

“We actually only hoped to get the minimum number of five women register so we could run the program,” said Sharp.

Despite their low expectations, the club had about 30 women sign up for the program.

“I started to get phone calls and e-mails. It was unbelievable actually,” said Sharp.

During the five-week program, between 12 and 20 mums participated each week. The program was so successful that the club has continued with a permanent day for ladies to play tennis.

“The ladies can now come down to the club on Mondays from 9.30am and have a social hit of tennis. The sessions are adapted to cater for how many women turn up and how long they can stay for,” said Sharp.

“The women have all shown a lot of interest and didn’t realise there are a lot of us who play tennis on Saturdays who have kids.”

The club is hoping that by winter they will have a committed group of women who can play competition tennis each week.

The Mums’ Tennis Program is run in Terms 1, 2 and 4. Tennis Victoria affiliated tennis clubs can register to run the program at their club. For more information, visit tennis.com.au/vic (Clubs/Programs) or contact the Participation Department on (03) 8420 8420.Mums and Tiny Tots enjoyed the Mums’ Tennis Program at Red Cliffs

Lawn Tennis Club.

The community got right behind the Community Tennis Day at Quambatook Lawn Tennis Club.


CLUBS12

The Healesville Tennis club recently celebrated its 120th anniversary with a special birthday at the club. The

function featured a round-robin hit of tennis, a historical display of photos, clothing, racquets and a birthday cake (of course!).

Among the guests were Shire of Yarra Ranges Deputy Mayor Cr Jeanette McRae and local Historian and Author, Bryn Jones, who attended to give a recollection of what the town of Healesville was like when the club first started.

The Healesville Tennis Club was founded during a remarkable decade in Healesville’s history when the hamlet, established in 1865, began to emerge from its crude backblocks image.

Between the late 1880’s and the late 1890’s a number of sporting clubs and cultural societies were established in Healesville. Along with tennis, a number of clubs were started, including cricket, football, athletics, rifle, bowls, croquet and cycling. A literary and debating society and a social club for dancing, singing and party games were also formed during this period.

It was in this changing and progressive atmosphere that a number of Healesville’s

History takes the front seat with the Mayor in Wantirna…

Wantirna Tennis Club recently turned 75, with the Mayor of Knox City Council, Cr David Cooper, on hand

with over 70 past, current and Life Members of the club to celebrate the milestone.

The longest serving Life Member, Albert Thompson, was in attendance to cut the cake and share the history of “windy Wantirna” and some of the more recent developments at the club, including the installation of a rainwater collection and distribution system.

Club member Lay Luu was introduced to the crowd to proudly show-off the medals he won playing Badminton at the World Masters Games in Sydney.

On display were items from the club’s time capsule that was opened at the 60th anniversary. Some of the items included a club newsletter and old photos which brought back fond memories and made for great discussion.

Club coach, Kelly Bisinella, conducted the club junior championship finals during the event with winners and runners-up being presented with tickets to Australian Open 2010.

“Overall, a fantastic and memorable day was had by everyone who attended,” said Barry Cornell, President of the Wantirna Tennis Club.

“It was a great family day proving that the community spirit is alive and well at the Wantirna Tennis Club.”

most influential men believed that time was ripe to form a tennis club.

After a few meetings, a strong and influential committee was formed. The first President was the local Member of Parliament, Mr Elven Cameron.

Six weeks later a location was found, approved, cleared and prepared to play tennis. Thirty financial members were practising whenever the weather permitted on the club’s three new courts.

The courts were officially opened at 3.15pm on 11 September 1889 by ‘serving the ball’ to the cheers of the crowd.

During the early years, games were limited to in-house. Healesville played other clubs, including Badger Creek, Steels Creek, Wandin, Croydon and Ivanhoe informally.

On opening day every year, Yarra Glen, Healesville Presbyterians, Healesville Methodists and Lilydale were invited to participate.

120 years on and the Healesville Tennis Club has 10 courts and proudly acknowledges the pioneers and many hundreds of members who succeeded them.

A history remembered – Healesville Tennis Club 120 years on

Youngsters blow out the candles on the birthday cake celebrating Royal Park Tennis Club’s 120th anniversary.

Albert Thompson with Knox City Council Mayor, Cr David Cooper, cuts the 75th anniversary cake.

120 years at Royal Park

On Sunday 18 October 2009, Royal Park Tennis Club celebrated its 120th anniversary with a

combined Club Open Day.

Royal Park Tennis Club’s history dates back to 1889 and intertwines with that of the Princes Park Tennis Club, the Blue Triangle Club, St Ambrose Tennis Club and the Victorian Railway Institute (later known as Australia Post-Tel Institute).

“What started as a two-court facility has built up to a 14 court complex operating as one club, with a community based, open access philosophy,” said Caryle Demarte, Royal Park Tennis Club President.

Over the years, the club has undergone many renovations including the rebuilding of courts, the establishment of a major water management infrastructure and the installation of lights and a sprinkler system.

Over 100 people attended the celebration to help mark the occasion.

“People engaged in social tennis, tested the speed of their serve against the radar gun and children received free coaching lessons from Dan Donnelly,” said Demarte.

“Much social conversation was enjoyed, as were the afternoon tea delights.”

tennis.com.au/vic

13CLUBS

As the Official Energy Partner of Tennis Victoria, Momentum Energy has designed a product

exclusively for affiliated tennis clubs, offering competitive pricing and a bonus credit just for signing up.

Essex Heights Tennis Club recently switched and is reaping the rewards.

“Momentum Energy looked at our yearly bills and said that we could save over $1000 based on our current spend,” said Alex Kuzmicky, President of the Essex Heights Tennis Club.

“This, together with a number of other incentives, convinced us to change.”

As a specialist supplier of electricity to businesses, Momentum Energy are customer focused and can offer 100% Accredited GreenPower, a government accredited program to encourage generation of energy from new renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass.

“Momentum Energy was very helpful in helping us make the change. Their response to our questions and sending out paperwork was efficient and complete,” said Kuzmicky.

New uniforms create a buzzThe Gracedale Park Tennis Club has been successful in receiving a $3000 Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Community Grant.

The money from the grant had to be spent to benefit the children at the tennis club and after much

deliberation, the Committee decided to use the money to provide uniforms for all the children who play junior tennis on Saturday mornings.

“After many, many samples we finally came up with a smart colour and design that features the Gracedale Park Tennis Club logo on them,” said Shane Broderick, Secretary at the club.

“We have about 30 kids representing the club on Saturday morning and it’s great to see them wearing their new uniforms.”

Bradley Canning from Woolworths at Canterbury Gardens in Bayswater North presented the cheque to club President Gary Sebire and Junior Coordinator Steve Morgan.

Many clubs across Victoria have already benefited from Momentum Energy’s support of tennis through the Club Open Day program.

“Momentum Energy’s partnership with Tennis Victoria provides a great program of community activity and engagement,” said Camillo D’Alessandro, CEO of Momentum Energy.

“Momentum Energy’s support of Club Open Days for the past two years has provided clubs with the opportunity to attract new players and interact socially with their local community.

“The partnership now provides clubs with an exclusive opportunity to minimise their costs and support tennis in Victoria.”

This support of tennis in Victoria will come through choosing to donate up to 100% of the sign-on incentive to the Neale Fraser Foundation (part of Tennis Victoria’s ongoing commitment to support the development of tennis).

If your club is looking for a way to reduce costs, and wants to support a 100% Australian owned company,

Juniors at Gracedale Park Tennis Club proudly wear their new uniform.

Moving with momentumTennis clubs around Victoria are benefiting from Tennis Victoria’s relationship with Momentum Energy, switching their electricity and saving hundreds of dollars in the process.

Congratulations to the following clubs who have made the switch to Momentum Energy and saved!

Beaumaris Lawn Tennis ClubDonvale Tennis ClubEssex Heights Tennis ClubFrankston Tennis ClubNorth Sunshine Tennis ClubSomers Tennis ClubTally Ho Tennis ClubEast Malvern Tennis ClubYea Tennis ClubNorth Ringwood Tennis Club

call Momentum Energy today on 1800 SWITCH (1800 794 824) for a quick and competitive quote.


14 CLUBS

Simon Thompson, Tennis Victoria’s Infrastructure and Environment Manager, is pleased with the

new service on offer to clubs.

“As a benefit of affiliation, Tennis Victoria can support clubs with their facility enquiries by providing accurate information, site visits and facility planning advice,” said Thompson.

“The strength of our new partnership is the ability to turn our free advice into a reality for tennis clubs. This will be achieved by 2MH Consulting and Inside Edge Sport and Leisure Planning providing a broad range of project management services.

“Like any project, there are costs involved at the latter stages, but clubs can feel confident in meeting best practice standards and receiving a quality outcome.”

As you will be aware, to reduce the impact of this restriction on tennis clubs, whilst still keeping water usage

down, Tennis Victoria and the greater metro-politan water retailers (City West Water, South East Water, Western Water and Yarra Valley Water) introduced an alternative Water Conservation Plan process for tennis clubs.

This allows all courts to be watered lightly (as opposed to the ‘one in two court’ rule) whilst water saving measures are to be undertaken at the club. It is also a requirement that red porous tennis courts be treated with magnesium or calcium chloride.

Tennis clubs have achieved considerable water savings over the past two years by regularly treating their courts, accessing alternative water sources and monitoring water usage to achieve, on average, water savings in excess of 60 percent.

As a result of the water conservation efforts, and the resulting water savings generated by tennis clubs, the water retailers and Tennis Victoria would like to simplify the process for the development of Water Conservation Plans moving forward.

Clubs and committees are invited to contact Tennis Victoria to discuss your planning and funding needs for all facility developments.

Both companies have a wealth of experience. Many clubs and councils have already worked with 2MH Consulting on facility development projects. Inside Edge Sport and Leisure Planning has provided specialist planning services to the tennis industry in Victoria, including feasibility studies and strategic planning.

“The name Inside Edge defines our business approach to project consultancy,” said Michael Bodman, Company Director.

“We use our experience and networks to provide clients with a business edge by working with them and understanding their individual operating environment.”

The following changes will come into effect from 1 July 2010:

• Clubswhoareabletodemonstratethat they use alternative water sources, and are able to continue to achieve a minimum 50 per cent water saving, will have the mandatory court treatment requirement removed. This means that from 1 July 2010, clubs will no longer need to provide evidence of court treatment in their Water Conservation Plan submissions in order to water all courts.

• Thoseclubsthatareunabletoaccessalternative water sources, such as water tanks and/or sub surface irrigation systems (or other water saving measures), will need to treat their courts with magnesium or calcium chloride as per the information sheets available at tennis.com.au/vic (Clubs/Infrastructure and Environment).

• WaterConservationPlansandallowancesissued between now and 30 June 2010 will be on a pro-rata basis. The plans will be reviewed and approved by your local water retailer on a case-by-case basis in order to monitor each club’s use of alternative water sources to meet the

Introducing a new service for clubs looking to develop facilitiesFollowing a review of its technical services group, Tennis Victoria is pleased to announce it has formed a partnership with 2MH Consulting and Inside Edge Sport and Leisure Planning to provide affiliated tennis clubs and councils a range of quality services when developing tennis facilities.

Changes to the Water Conservation Plan – requirements for red porous tennis courtsStage 3a water restrictions limit the ways in which red porous courts can be watered, with the standard policy dictating that only one in two courts can be watered.

2MH Consulting was established in 1999, primarily as a consulting firm specialising in project management services. The services provided by 2MH Consulting begin at the investigative level, where works are scoped out, budget estimates prepared, and projects broadly outlined in conceptual designs.

Once all detailed designs are completed, funding confirmed and necessary permits obtained, the project implementation, purchasing and construction can commence. 2MH Consulting can track all expenditure via specially designed software, prepare information for project acquittals and conduct final project handovers to clients and/or committees of management.

“We are very excited about the establishment of this new partnership and about continuing our work more intimately with the tennis industry,” said Mick Hassett, Company Director at 2MH Consulting.

For further information please visit tennis.com.au/vic (Clubs/Infrastructure and Environment) or to engage the services offered above, please contact Simon Thompson at Tennis Victoria on (03) 8420 8420.

water usage ceiling. During this time, pilot sites may also be chosen to trial water saving performance under the emerging policy prior to its full implementation.

• Pleasenotethatallclubsmustcontinueto reduce or keep water usage to 50% of pre Stage 3a water restriction levels. If this requirement is not achieved, the local water retailer may withdraw a club’s Water Conservation Plan approval and the club will revert to the ‘one in two court’ watering rule.

• ClubsareremindedthatthisalternativeWater Conservation Plan process will remain in place during Stage 3a water restrictions. Water retailers and Tennis Victoria are working towards the adoption of an annual allocation from 1 July 2010 onwards.

• TennisVictoriaandthewaterretailerswill be contacting clubs to further communicate the changes.

Tennis Victoria is committed to the development of “welcoming, sustainable and quality tennis environments” through the 2006 – 2010 Strategic Plan. All tennis stakeholders and the metropolitan water retailers are working together to address the impact of environmental change on the tennis community.

If you would like more information regarding these changes, please contact your water retailer or Simon Thompson at Tennis Victoria on (03) 8420 8420.

tennis.com.au/vic

15 ADMINISTRATOR

Member BenefitsMONTHlY PRIzE WINNERS*Congratulations to the following Tennis Victoria Members who have won a tennis pack. To read more about the winners, visit tennis.com.au/vic (Membership/Member Benefits).

OCTObERJames Rooke of the Clarinda Tennis Club

NOVEMbERSandra Tolra of the Whites Lane Tennis Club

*Tennis Victoria randomly selects a member from our database each month to win a tennis prize pack.

PlAYER OFFERSAUSTRAlIAN TENNIS MAGAzINE – NEW!Tennis Victoria members can receive the most value from this high-quality publication with a special subscription 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 (Membership/Member Benefits).

AAMI ClASSIC – AVAIlAblE NOW!Receive a 10% discount and preferential seating (sections 9, 22 and 23) on General Admission tickets to the AAMI Classic at Kooyong (13-16 January 2010).

Tickets are on sale now and details on how to purchase tickets are available at tennis.com.au/vic (Membership/Member Benefits).

WIlSONTennis Victoria members receive an exclusive discount on Wilson tennis racquets and equipment at participating retailers in March/April 2010.

Visit tennis.com.au/vic (Membership/Member Benefits) for more information and a list of participating retailers.

PREllI RACqUETSMembers can benefit from Prelli’s 20 years of experience and get a 10% discount off retail prices on tennis racquets, restrings, footwear, clothing and accessories (conditions apply – see in store for details).

Visit Prelli Racquets at 207-209 Victoria Parade, Collingwood today.

RECOVER SPORTS MEDICINEReceive a 10% discount on physiotherapy treatments at Recover Sports Medicine Clinics (Richmond, Glen Waverley and Bayside) by presenting your membership card. The clinic has experienced physiotherapists, all involved in sports, including Sabine Groscurth who worked on the WTA Tour treating the world’s best tennis players for 3 years (2005-2008).

Visit tennis.com.au/vic (Membership/Member Benefits) for more information and location details.

TENNIS WORlDBuy 1-get-1 FREE offers for Tennis Workout and Tours of Melbourne Park from Tennis World, at the home of the Australian Open. A redemption voucher will be sent out with new membership cards for 2009/10 and is valid until March 2010.

HERAlD SUNHave the Herald Sun home delivered from Mon-Sun for just $6.95 per week, a saving of 29% (conditions apply).

Visit tennis.com.au/vic (Membership/Member Benefits) for more information.

MOMENTUM ENERGYSwitch your business electricity to Momentum Energy and receive great rates, up to 13% prompt payment discount and a welcome credit on your first bill (conditions apply).

Call 1800 SWITCH (1800 794 824) to speak with the Tennis Victoria Account Manager today.

INTREPID TRAVElFor 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 travellers explore the world’s most amazing places – from the back streets of Asia, to the wilds of Africa, the colourful landscapes of Latin America, the delicacies of Europe and ancient cultures of Australasia.

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 OFFERSWIlSON SPORTING GOODSWilson Sporting Goods offers Tennis Victoria Affiliates the opportunity to purchase Wilson Australian Open tennis balls at discounted prices.

Special offer: until 31 December 2009, get one dozen free Australian Open balls for every six dozen you order (grass or all court balls available).

Visit tennis.com.au/vic (Clubs/Affiliation) to download your order form or call (03) 8420 8420.

MOMENTUM ENERGYMomentum Energy offers clubs great energy rates and “cash back” to go towards your club’s development. With better customer service and green energy for businesses, Momentum Energy can help Tennis Victoria clubs to SWITCH, NOW SAVE.

Call 1800 SWITCH (1800 794 824) to speak with the Tennis Victoria Account Manager today.

IN MEMORYTennis Victoria would like to offer its condolences to the families of Colin Long and Harward Hillier who have passed away recently. We thank them for their contribution to the sport of tennis.

COlIN lONGFormer Australian Davis Cup representative Colin Long has passed away aged 91.

Long played doubles in seven Davis Cup ties for Australia from 1946-48, finishing with a respectable 5-2 record.

He was a doubles and mixed doubles specialist who won four Australian mixed doubles titles in 1940, 1946, 1947 and 1948.

In 1948 he teamed with Frank Sedgman to make the doubles final at the Australian Championships. That same year, his best singles result came at the Australian Championships where he made the quarterfinals.

After retiring, he continued his involvement with tennis through executive roles with sports manufacturer Spalding and also as a sports media commentator.

Colin is survived by his wife, Florence, children Susie and Stephen and five grandchildren, Hamish, Bosie, Lindsay, Stephanie and Georgia.

HARWARD HIllIERTwo days after becoming World Champion in the Men’s 80’s at the ITF World Super-Seniors Championships in Perth, Harward

Hillier passed away, aged 83.

Hillier was not only one of nature’s true gentlemen but he was a fantastic tennis player.

“We have lost a thorough gentleman who has left indelible memories with us,” said Tom Hancy of Tennis Seniors Australia.

“All of us are enriched because of his endeavours, courage and the memories he shared with us.”

Hillier is survived by his wife Nancy and family.

VTN January 2010

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Transcript of VTN January 2010