SWAN Hill’s only tennis coach says the first ever junior points tournament held in Swan Hill was a large success, with local players making a good impression.
Not only local junior players get exposure to playing against top-quality players from across Victoria, a number came out victorious in their competitions over the three-day tournament held at the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club between Tuesday and Thursday last week.
Lachy Hewitt won the 14 and Under Boys’ Singles’ final 5-7 6-3 6-2 after not having dropped a set in the lead-up.
Hewitt then combined with Jack Delmenico — who had reached the quarter finals of the 14 and Unders — to win the 14 and Under Boys’ Doubles round robin, winning all their three matches with an incredible tally of 36 games to 2.
Elise Morrison came out on top in the round robin of the 16 and Under Girls’ Doubles, winning all her three matches while paired up with Bendigo-based partner Tayla Hayton.
Pippa Lewis and Greta Sheldrick — who finished second and third respectively in the 12 and Under Girls’ Singles — won all their matches in the 12 and Under Girls’ Doubles tournament.
Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club coach David Jonkers said the “general feeling” was that the visitors would come back again next year and bring more people from their clubs to play.
“For the first go of the points tournament, it was extremely promising, it introduced a lot of local juniors to a rankings tournament for the first time,” Jonkers said..
“A few of them needed to be encouraged to do it in the first place and now that they’ve done it they’ve realised that it’s a lot of fun and they’ve enjoyed it.
“The tournament was great in as far as we had a lot of people from around Victoria who came to the venue for the first time and were just really excited to be here and play at the venue
“Our local kids gave them really good matches so it was worth them coming from the standard of tennis that they got.”
