TENNIS action continued at Swan Hill Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club this week, as players of all ages took a swing at the club’s annual Easter Tournament.
Predominately a junior competition, open competitors also took to Swan Hill’s grass courts from Tuesday morning, after the courts took the brunt of Monday evening’s deluge.
SHLTCC curator Dan Gardner said the courts had stood up to the wet weather fantastically.
“We think we got about 15mm of rain through Monday afternoon and overnight,” he said.
“But it finished up around 11pm or midnight, so we still had a chance for a little bit of drying time which was good.
“We only had to hold just one court out of play, all the rest were good start at 8.30am.
“We had players out here around 7am, when it was still dark, trying to get a practice in before their games started.
“The players might have a little bit of a different perspective about what should and shouldn’t be playable, but they were all here ready to go and all got a hit in.”
Gardner said the tournament was “a bit like going on a school camp” with many junior competitors travelling with groups they train with.
“It is an amazing tournament,” he said.
“Groups travel up to Swan Hill with their coaches, which makes it a bit unique.
“The players here aren’t just here on their own, they’re a part of their own coaching group.
“Not everyone has to be an absolute superstar at tennis, these people might just have a love for the game and continue their training.
“It’s a great chance for the parents to get a bit of a rest over the school holidays. The kids travel up with their coaches and the family can carry on with life at home.”
What was once a single open competition has grown to a number of graded sections allowing players to face opponents of a similar level.
One of those competitors was Geelong’s Ben Rankin, 31, who made up half of the first-seeded tier-three doubles pairing with Jordyn Aitken.
Rankin said he found SHLTCC and the town “awesome” after attending the tournament for the second time.
“Country tournaments are just great, the atmosphere around the club and the towns is amazing,” he said.
“I came up last year, that was my first time here playing at the tournament, and I just had a blast.
“Everyone is so friendly, then we can go out and have some fun on the court as well.
“When it comes to grass courts, you can’t really ask for much better than this.
“This tournament in particular, it just attracts so many juniors who want to come up and play in it.
“Just seeing all the talent is incredible, the kids are just freaks these days.”
