TENNIS aces from across the country will battle it out for their share of $20,000 in prizemoney at the Victorian Grasscourt Championships in Swan Hill this week.
Swan Hill Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club will host the event for the first time from Monday to Friday, with more than 100 players registered.
The women’s draw is bolstered by the inclusion of Japanese player Yuki Naito, fresh off the back of the Australian Pro Tour event in Traralgon.
Naito will lead the field as the No.1 seed, while Queensland’s Blake Ellis will be the No.1 seed in the men’s draw.
Monique Barry from New Zealand will be hoping to add the grasscourt championship to her collection after taking the Victorian Hard Court Championships at Frankston in February.
Representing the Victorian talent, Torrumbarry’s Isabella Crossman will be a strong contender in the women’s draw, while Josh Charlton is the state’s top contender in the men’s.
Adding an international flair to the men’s draw, Christian Langmo and Benjamin Loccisano from the USA will showcase their skills, along with representation from Switzerland, New Zealand and Japan.
The 20K Signature tournament is the first event on the grasscourt swing, with the Australian Pro Tour series heading to Mildura following the Swan Hill event.
Swan Hill Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club president Christian Devlin said it was “full steam ahead” with a plethora of club members and volunteers busy preparing the courts and facilities.
“This year’s championships is full of good players, which is natural given they will go on to play in Mildura the following week,” Devlin said.
“There are top players coming from interstate and overseas … it’s a strong field.”
Devlin said most courts would be available for practice, with 16 main match courts spaced out to enable spectators to get up close to play.
He said it was important for Swan Hill to have relevance in the grasscourt circuit.
“Tournaments like this keeps us in the spotlight and window of opportunity,” Devlin said.
“Next year we have Country Week, then the Pro Tour event … we put a lot of effort to maintain tennis on grass.”
Devlin urged locals to head down to Ken Harrison Reserve.
“It’s absolute courtside action,” he said.
“You will be just a couple of metres from some of the best tennis players in Australia and others parts of the world.”
He said it was also an economic boost for the rural city.
“Its a great profile for the town, great for restaurants and accommodation providers as well.”
