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Doug Hill appointed as Tennis Head Coach, 9 January 2012
Gippsland Sports Academy has taken another step towards securing the ongoing success of its elite tennis athletes with the appointment of Doug Hill to the role of Head Coach of the Gippsland Sports Academy Tennis Program.
“Three quality candidates underwent a comprehensive selection process and as a result Tennis Victoria and the Gippsland Sports Academy have gone in a new direction with the appointment of Doug Hill”, Tennis Victoria’s Executive Manager Tennis Operation, Nick Hinneberg said “Tennis Victoria and Gippsland Sports Academy are looking forward to the new dimension Doug will bring to the program in 2012” Nick added.
Doug Hill, Tennis Head Coach
Doug will take over the reign from outgoing coach Graham Charlton who has nurtured many young Gippsland tennis athletes over the years. Doug’s extensive experience and previous involvement with regionally based programs will offer a strong and fresh approach.
“This appointment is quite a big step for us but one that we are also very excited about, we are looking forward to the many positives Doug’s appointment will bring to the program, the athletes and all stakeholders of the Gippsland Sports Academy”, Gippsland Sports Academy Chief Executive Officer Judi Buhagiar said, “on behalf of the Gippsland Sports Academy and all of our stakeholders I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank outgoing coach Graham Charlton for his previous work in this program”, she added.
Doug, who has been engaging in the professional tennis industry for over 35 years, has competed and coached at the highest level of the professional game, mentored ‘rookie’ pro’s, guided talented young players in their development and pathway to success.
Simultaneously, delving into the ‘business’ aspect of tennis with appointments in various sports marketing roles and General Management of the historic ‘White City’. Hill has held positions as a Tennis NSW Country Director, Central West (NSW) Regional Coach and is currently engaged in professional tennis coaching and consultancy through Vintage Tennis.
As a former resident professional and Southern Districts Head Coach, based at Dendy Park Tennis Club, Victoria, he has been credited with 63 State Junior Titles and 7 National Junior events.
Doug will work very closely with all the athletes, their families and private coaches, along with the Gippsland Sports Academy, Tennis Victoria, sponsors and all stakeholders to put together the most progressive, innovative, exciting tennis program seen in Australia.
Hill said he was “delighted to accept the role as Head Coach and look[s] forward with great anticipation to making a significant difference to the ‘tennis stocks’ in the Gippsland region”. This is a rural area of Victoria, where an extraordinary number of world class performers, across all sports, have made their mark on the sporting globe, “it is now time for the ‘tennis world’ to look at Gippsland for the next group of champions”.
Hill commences his role as Head Coach on the 29th of January, 2012 at the players Induction Day and is looking forward to meeting the players, their families and private coaches.
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Athletes make a racquet, 8 November 2011
Gippsland Sports Academy athletes from the Quality Inn Latrobe Convention Centre Tennis Program recently competed in the John Fitzgerald Cup and brought home the silverware.
Justin Hough, Josh Charlton, Jack Clements and Travis Ogden with coach
Graham Charlton and Tennis Victoria's Maria Keys and Anne Baldwin
The John Fitzgerald Cup is Regional Victoria’s show case for 13 and under boys and was recently contested in Ballarat where 10 teams fought it out for the honour of State Champion.
This year the 4 members of the title winning team were, Josh Charlton, Jack Clements, Justin Hough and Travis Ogden. “Firstly I would like to congratulate all of the tennis athletes that competed in the event but the 4 boys teamed perfectly to win the title defeating Loddon Campaspe (Bendigo region) in the final 3 sets to 1” head academy tennis coach, Graham Charlton said, “a special mention also goes to 10 year old Toby Radford who represented East Gippsland and is a member of the academy development squad, amazingly he has another 4 years to compete in the event”, Mr Charlton added.
The Gippsland Sports Academy team has been performing consistently at the John Fitzgerald Cup winning the boys cup for the first time in 2009 and seeing the team finish as runner-up in 2010. This is possibly the youngest team to ever win the title with the boys still being eligible to compete in the event either in 2012 and 2013.
A State team is selected from the event and given both Josh Charlton and Jack Clements went through the tournament undefeated in singles and doubles the possibility of a State selection is very promising.
Tennis Victoria’s Executive Manager of Operations, Mr Nick Hinneberg said “Tennis Victoria’s Regional Team Events are a great opportunity for players to compete for their region in a team based environment. Many of the juniors selected by their regions in the various junior age groups, benefit greatly from the local Regional Sports Academy tennis programs that support local player development pathways such as the program delivered Gippsland Regional Sports Academy program.”
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Triumphant end to tennis year, 5 October 2010
The Academy's tennis squad finished on a high note at the Bairnsdale Junior Open with nearly half of them being winners and everyone else making finals rounds.
Shayla Marsh took out the championship singles and doubles titles for her 12-year age group as well as being runner-up in the 13 years' event. The glory was hard-earned as Shayla was forced to 3-set finals in both 12-year events.
Also in the 12-years' group David Hough was a winner in the doubles and runner-up in the singles. He also won the 13-years' (non-championship) singles.
Mitchell Allman played an age level higher and won the 16-years' singles. He also paired with Jamie Kemp to make the quarter finals of the doubles. In a further age group jump into the 18-years' singles, Mitchell finished second.
Playing herself back into form during recent tournaments, Emma Waite shared in the 16-years' doubles win with ex-Academy player Stephanie Barnett, and she was a semi-finalist in the singles. Emma also finished second in the non-championship 18-years' singles.
Sophie Grumley had a series of runner-up results in the 16-years' championship singles and doubles, and in the 18-years' mixed doubles with Callum Tomlinson-Dale. Sophie was, however, the only player to really pressure the outstanding ex-Academy player Stephanie Barnett during the tournament. Sophie forced their singles final to a tough 3-set conclusion.
Amelia Charlton could not make much headway in the 14-years' events, but at her own level she was successful in winning the 13-years' singles. She defeated Shayla Marsh in the final.
Josh Charlton was also at home in his age group and comfortably won the 11-years' singles. In the 12 year events Josh was up against some quality players and to his credit he made the semi-finals of the singles consolation.
Callum Tomlinson-Dale's best results came in doubles where he was second in the 16-years' boys' doubles and 18-years' mixed doubles with Sophie Grumley. Callum also made the quarter-finals of the 16-years' singles, a highly competitive age group.
Jamie Kemp, apart from his doubles semi-final with Mitchell Allman, also finished second in the 16-years' singles consolation in one of the most exciting finals of the tournament.
Others to play in final rounds were Alex Kirbright, Chloe Downie, Lexie Joyce, Rebecca Ingram, Jarryd Garlick and Jack Clements.
The tournament was the closing event for this year's squad and the Bairnsdale results highlight the encouraging progress which all squad members have made during the year.
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Intensive Tennis, 28 September 2010
This school holiday break is a busy fortnight for the Academy's Tennis Squad.
In the first week three members competed in the Tennis Coaches Association Championships in Melbourne, and then 10 competed at the Frankston Junior Claycourts Championship which concluded yesterday.
Today, everybody will be on the court again at Bairnsdale for the start of the Tennis United Junior Open. The Open finishes on Saturday, so there will be a day off before returning to school next week.
Last week in Melbourne, David Hough was in the winning 12-years boys' doubles partnership and was also a quarter finalist in the singles.
Sophie Grumley made a vigorous but unsuccessful defence against the third seed to try to prevent early elimination from the girls' 16-years singles. However, once relegated to the consolation series Sophie continued played well and was the runner-up.
At Frankston, the results were even better with all squad members doing well. This is particularly encouraging given the status of the Frankston event and the depth of competition it attracts.
Sophie again found herself in the singles consolation but breezed through the rounds and was a comfortable winner.
Mitchell Allman (14-years) and Callum Tomlinson-Dale (16-years) made singles quarter finals. Callum teamed with Jamie Kemp in the boys' 16-years doubles and they reached the semi-finals.
David Hough was another quarter finalist, this time in 12-years doubles. David also made the finals of the consolation singles but this was washed out, as was Mitchell Allman's doubles final.
Jack Clements, aged 10, and Joshua Charlton, just turned 11, made good showings in the 12 years events despite a size disadvantage, and are continuing to improve. Lexie Joyce is another improver, and her contest against a seeded player in the singles was impressive.
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A holiday serving of tennis, 16 July 2010
A school holiday break packed with tennis tournaments paid off for most of the Academy's squad with some outstanding results.
Mitchell Allman's two Tennis Victoria titles were the most significant achievement during the break. Both of Mitchell's successes were at last week's Victorian Junior Clay Court Championships where he was the 14-years singles and doubles winner.
The tournament's third seed in singles, Mitchell was untroubled by his opponents all the way through and his closest result was in the final where he defeated the second seed 6-4 6-4.
Teaming with the top-seeded singles player, Chanchai Sookton-Eng, in the boys' doubles, Mitchell took out his second Victorian title.
Match play the week earlier at the Glen Iris Underage Championships must have sharpened Mitchell into good form. At Glen Iris he made the semi-finals of the doubles and the quarter finals of the singles consolation.
The same seemed true of David Hough who was a singles consolation semi-finalist at Glen Iris before heading to Brisbane for the Optus 12-years Winter nationals. There, David had a hesitant start in the singles before going on to a more confident run through the consolation to finish with a placing.
Back in Victoria, other good performances came from Josh Charlton (12-years), who was a semi-finalist in the Glen Iris doubles and, the next week, a quarter finalist in the singles consolation at the Clay Court Championships.
We also had fines singles performances at the Victorian titles from Rebecca Ingram (12-years) and Shayla Marsh (also 12s). They were both eliminated by the seventh seed but Rebecca and Shayla defended strongly and forced their more fancied opponent to play out three solid sets.
Others to play in the tournaments were Amelia Charlton, Jamie Kemp, Emma Waite, Sophie Grumley, Lexie Joyce and Cohan Schuback. Despite not making finals all performed well against high-standard opponents.
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Tennis ten at Canberra, 28 April 2010
The best results ever were returned by the Academy's Tennis Squad at their annual trip to the ACT Junior Open. The four-day tennis tournament concluded last weekend and five of the ten players went beyond eliminations into final rounds.
David Hough was runner up in the 12-years boys doubles and made singles quarter finals. Mitchell Allman was runner up in the 14-years boys singles and also, with Alistair Salerno, a semi-finalist in the boys' doubles.
Sophie Grumley had a great result in making the 16-years girls' singles semi-finals where she was eliminated by the second seed. Emma Waite made the quarter finals of the same event. Later, Sophie and Emma paired to make the quarter finals of the doubles.
Our other players, Chloe Downie, Jarryd Garlick, Lexie Joyce, Callum Tomlinson-Dale were not disgraced as they all performed well in the elimination events. They were playing against some of the best young eastern-States players.
The Australian Institute of Sport was the Squad's Canberra base during the four day tournament, and there they rubbed shoulders with some of Australia's top athletes. Judging by the results, the AIS experience must have been a positive one!
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Tennis team has excellent results, 15 April 2010
by Graham Charlton
At Geelong, despite the difficult condition of the grass, the concentration and application of the Advanced Squad was fantastic. Everybody did well, and the main draw finals saw Mitchell Allman win the 14's singles and doubles (with Ben Robinson).
Sophie Grumley was runner up in the 16's singles and runner up with Emma Waite in the doubles. David Hough was runner up in the 12's singles and won the doubles. These results were fantastic with all playing their first points tournament singles finals.
Lexie Joyce also did well making the consolation final in the 14's. Go Lex!
Many players played Maffra over Easter with heaps of finals reached in many events, so well done to all concerned.
The Development Squad had just as an amazing week in Frankston making three main draw finals. Jack Clements lost the 10-years singles in three sets, Rebecca Ingram lost a close two-setter and Mitchell was runner up in the 14's doubles. Amelia Charlton also played well to make the 12's consolation final.
For such a young squad to stay away from home and manage all disciplines (diet, sleep and early morning training) is a credit to them and their families.
Well done to David Hough and family at the Nationals in Ipswich this week where David won three of six matches. What a great result, and it's a pity we couldn't have others there for support. The Nationals are all our dreams, and although we went to Mildura as a team, it is hard to achieve this goal all the time.
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Hope and promise at tennis Nationals, 23 February 2010
The three Academy tennis squad members who played at the Optus 12s and 14s National Grasscourt Championships last week performed extremely well. But they would have been left wondering what might have been possible had not rain and misfortune intervened.
In the first round of the 14 years singles Mitchell Allman was squeezed out by the 14th seed, going down 7-5, 7-6. Although Mitchell showed that he was competitive with some of the better players he had lost the chance to continue in further rounds.
However, Mitchell's fine touch continued in the consolation rounds and he reached the final. There, against the 7th seed in tough, hot conditions, after nearly three hours, and well into the third set, heavy rain washed out the match and Mitchell's hopes of a good result along with it.
Chloe Downie was also disappointed when she suffered Achilles tendon soreness in her first match but wisely withdrew for the rest of the tournament.
David Hough, in the 12 years events, successfully played into the second round of the singles where his progress was stopped by the 16th seed player. In the consolation David was eliminated in the first round by top young Singaporean player. He had a similar outcome in the doubles where he progressed to the second round but was unable to make headway in the consolation.
Despite their disappointments the Academy players are to be congratulated on making the tournament entry list and also on being able to perform respectably well against some of Australia's best young players.
The Championships were played at Mildura concurrently with the Mildura Grand International Tournament and squad members were able to watch some of the matches. The international presence added considerably to the atmosphere for the underage titles.
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Tennis trio to Optus Nationals, 4 February 2010
Three promising young members of the Academy's tennis squad have made the cut for the Optus National Grasscourts12-years and 14-years Championships.
Chloe Downie and Mitchell Allman (14-years) and David Hough (12-years) will be playing at the Championships in two weeks' time.
For Chloe, acceptance was a little less certain as she is a wildcard entry and her name was announced after the others. However, all three have had solid tennis results last year and this has earned them their invitations to play against Australia's best.
The Championships will be held in Mildura for 5 days from 17 February and will involve singles and doubles matches. The players will be supported by the Academy's Head Coach, Graham Charlton.
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Ambassadors Cup win is sweet news for the Academy, 11 December 2009
Gippsland's domination of the recent Ambassadors Cup is a compliment to the Academy for its positive influence on junior tennis within the region.
In the tournament the Central Gippsland team defeated the East Gippsland team in the final. More significantly, they both relegated Barwon - regarded as Victoria's premier junior region - back into third place.
Central Gippsland was represented by Sophie Grumley, Emma Waite, Nick Tile and James Sheppard. Sophie, Emma and Nick were all members of the Academy's 2009 tennis squad. The East Gippsland team comprised Stephanie Barnett, Elizabeth Shanahan, Mitchell Allman and Jamie Kemp. Mitchell was also with the Academy in 2009 with Elizabeth and Stephanie in the 2008 squad.
Tennis Victoria will invite the winning team to a training day at the National Tennis Academy. The results will also benefit their player rankings.
The Ambassadors Cup is a Victorian inter-regional competition for 15 year and under players. Two girls and two boys make up each team.
Congratulations to all our Gippsland players!
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Tennis players hit top form, 5 October 2009
Tennis squad members had great successes at last week's Bairnsdale Junior Clay Tournament. All nine who competed progressed into final rounds of at least one event.
Emma Waite won the girls 16 years doubles when she teamed with ex-Academy player Stephanie Barnett. Emma missed on another win when she was runner up in the singles consolation.
Sophie Grumley played in the 14 years singles and doubles making the semifinals in each. Later in the tournament Sophie played the events two age levels higher, 18 years, and was runner up each time. In the 18's singles final, Sophie, unseeded, against the second seed, went down in a stirring 7-6, 7-6 performance. She has competed in four tournaments over the last 2 weeks and has improved in each one.
The 14 years boys events were highly competitive so it was disappointing to see Mitchell Allman, despite playing extremely well, only reach the semi-finals of the singles. Later, Mitchell and Nick Tile were runners up in the doubles after a magnificent 3-set final.
Others to make semi-finals were Dylan Farquhar, Chloe Downie and David Hough. Dylan had little luck in the 12 years and 13 years events, but was good enough player to partner in an 18 years mixed doubles semi-final result. Chloe's results were in the 14 years mixed and girls' doubles and David's in the 13 years singles.
To round out the success stories, Amy Downie went through to the quarter finals of the 12 years singles, as did Callum Tomlinson-Dale in the boys' 14 years singles.
The Bairnsdale conditions were a relief after the Frankston tournament immediately before it where torrential rain and gale-force winds washed out most of the scheduled play. Organisers were only just able to reschedule singles finals over the last two days, abandoning doubles and consolation events. This affected all squad members who had hoped for more court experience.
However, at Frankston Sophie Grumley played well in singles before being eliminated. She also made a fine start in the doubles, reaching the quarter finals, before they were abandoned. Mitchell narrowly missed the singles quarter finals when he drew the third seed in a hard-fought last round. David Hough, again in the singles, played above himself when trying to hold back the 14th seed in the 13's singles.
Bairnsdale was the last tournament for the present squad and it also marks a year of great progress for the team. Congratulations to all!
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Top Traralgon tournament, 25 September 2009
Academy tennis squad players had good results at this week's Wight's Motor World Traralgon Junior Open tournament.
Sophie Grumley, 14, stepped up to 18-years events and was runner up in the girls singles. Sophie teamed with Emma Waite, 15, to take out the 18 years doubles.
Nick Tile also 14, tested himself in the 18 years events as well. He paired with Tristan Salerno, an older former Academy boy, to win the doubles event. Nick also made the quarter finals of the singles.
David Hough had wins in both the 13 years boys singles and doubles events.
The Traralgon event was the first of three school holiday tournaments for squad members. A Frankston tournament is currently in progress and the Bairnsdale Clay Classic will follow next week.
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Tennis trio at clay title, 14 July 2009
Advance squad players Sophie Grumley, Mitchell Allman and Chloe Downie competed in the Victorian Clay Court Championships at Ringwood last week.
Sophie Grumley stamped herself as a player of the future when she blitzed the 11th and 6th seeds in rounds of the 14 years girls' singles. In the quarter finals she was eliminated by the top seed and overwhelming winner, Annabelle Andrinopoulos.
Sophie's top eight finish is no surprise however as her game is on a steady improvement curve. Six months ago she was honoured to represent Victoria as one of 4 girls in the Foundation Cup finals and she has now, an age level higher, confirmed herself as one of the state's best on clay.
Chloe Downie, also in the 14s girls had her share of disappointment with the draw. She is likely to gain from the experience, continue to improve, and be more competitive in future events.
Mitchell Allman also found that low rankings can mean tough draws. He was knocked out in his first round of the boys 14 years singles by the eventual championship winner, but forced the match to a respectable three set outcome, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
In the consolation event Mitchell cruised comfortably to the final. There, under serious challenge, he showed great concentration and determination to win the event.
Mitchell also featured in a quarter final appearance in the doubles where his partnership was defeated by Joseph Colaciello's after a tight contest.
Joseph and his partner then advanced to the doubles semi finals, which was his best result of the tournament. Recently departed from the Academy, Joseph now trains in Melbourne and competes there regularly in major tournaments. Like Sophie and Mitchell, he is another who shows great promise.
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Tennis players shine at Wilson Junior, 14 July 2009
The tennis squad continued their busy holiday routines with some outstanding results in the Wilson Junior Round Robin series at Albert Reserve.
Amy Downie played comfortably in the girls' 12 years round robin matches and then went on to win an enthralling three set final.
In the boys' 12 years singles Dylan Farquhar, Tim Howe and David Hough all played in the same round robin section. This meant that only one could advance the to the final but, as it turned out, none of them made it, despite excellent round robin results. Collectively Dylan, Tim and David achieved 23 wins from their 27 matches which was an outstanding result.
The three boys had a better run in the doubles with David and Tim defeating Dylan and his partner in the final.
The successful Wilson tournament followed the tougher, gritty campaign at Glen Iris the previous week. The Glen Iris tournament however, finished on a high note when the squad was invited to attend a clinic at Kooyong with a touring Shanghai junior team. In a contest with the visitors our Academy players were surprised and pleased to be playing strongly and competitively against the Shanghai players.
Most likely, if this week's results are any guide, our players are stronger and sharper after their Glen Iris experience.
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Tough Glen Iris tennis tournament, 8 July 2009
Seven of the Academy's squad members lined up in the tough Glen Iris Underage Championships last week. The tournament, now in its 76th year, is renown for its strong competition. This year was no exception with 430 young players entered.
All squad players had valuable court experience with our 12 years players Amy Downie and Dylan Farquhar playing round robin, but unfortunately neither qualified for the finals.
The 14 years singles elimination was also challenging for Chloe Downie, Cohan Schuback, Mitchell Allman, Nick Tile and Callum Tomlinson-Dale. All faced difficult opponents in the early rounds and were relegated to the consolation series. Once there however, they advanced through to second or third rounds and played some fine tennis.
Mitchell Allman was the standout player, continuing through to the consolation semi-final where he was defeated by the eventual winner. By the time of Mitchell's last matches the weather had turned and it was a credit to his strength and playing skills that he continued to advance in the cold, wet and windy conditions.
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Tennis players test themselves, 11 May 2009
Academy tennis squad players had a good test at last week's Cavalier Homes Tournament in Traralgon. With its round robin qualifying format, all players had the opportunity for good court experience.
Despite playing in a higher age level Sophie Grumley, Mitchell Allman and Cohan Schuback were all competitive. Sophie was comfortable in winning the girls' 16-years singles while Mitchell was runner-up in the boys' 16-years singles.
Chloe Downie and David Hough were also runners-up in their own age group singles.
Dylan Farquhar was unlucky to draw David in the round robin as he might have been a finalist as well.
Others competing were Amy Downie, Cohan Schuback and Callum Tomlinson-Dale.
The tournament is the first in a winter series and the results are a strong encouragement for players to return for subsequent rounds.
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Tennis players successful at Canberra, 1 May 2009
Academy squad players have just returned from this week's ACT Junior Tennis Open where they achieved some outstanding results.
Mitchell Allman had a great start for his first year in the 14s age group. He played well in the boys' singles, with wins over 4th and 12th seeds, but in the semi-finals was unfortunate to go down to the second seed. He had been expected to perform well, as Mitchell has built up great form and fitness, and the results at Canberra are a credit to his dedication.
Sophie Grumley, also in the 14's, was another high-achiever. Sophie made the girls' singles quarter finals where she lost to the 3rd seed in a tantalising 7-6, 7-5 contest.
Sophie was also runner-up in the 14 years girls doubles. All her doubles finals were difficult matches and, as Sophie had played well throughout the tournament, this trophy was thoroughly deserved.
Joseph Colaciello (14 years) and Cohan Schuback (12 years) both did well in consolation singles. Joseph was runner up and Cohan made the quarter finals.
The squad was invited to stay at the Australian Institute of Sport where they rubbed shoulders and dined with some of our country's most talented athletes. They also appreciated the support of the AIS trainers who took them through recovery sessions with stretching, spa baths, and cold plunging baths. These sessions helped the players bounce back the following day.
Cold weather and wet spells made the tournament difficult for Head Coach Graham Charlton and he worked hard to support the players throughout. However, Graham was full of praise for the players whose commitment and team spirit helped make the trip so successful.
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Marvelous Maffra tennis tournament, 20 April 2009
Tennis squad members had a memorable Easter Tournament at Maffra with four of the five reaching finals play-offs.
Sophie Grumley and Emma Waite had the best results despite twice meeting each other on the court. Sophie, jumping up an age level won the 16 years girls' singles event. She defeated Emma in the final, managing to overcome Emma's determination and fine stroke-play.
Sophie also attempted the women's 19 years singles tile but went down in the final. In the open A Ladies Doubles Emma evened the score when, with ex-Academy player Chelsea Rawnson, she overcame Sophie's pair a tough quarter final contest. However Emma and Chelsea were subsequently knocked out in the next round, the semi-finals.
Emma played in two further open-age events, the A Mixed Doubles and the Ladies Gippsland Singles. In the doubles Emma again made the semi-finals. The Gippsland Championship was much more hotly contested but Emma, still 15, achieved the quarter finals. Overall, in her one age group event and three open age events Emma achieved some excellent results.
Dylan Farquhar and Cohen Schuback, both 12 years boys were also finalists. Dylan made the singles quarter finals and, with one of last year's squad, Devan Costigan, finished second in the doubles. Moving up to the 14 years boys' doubles Cohen and his partner won after some tight play in the semis and the final.
One of the best movers around the court is 12 year old Joseph Colaciello. Joseph took on the challenge of 16 years and 19 years singles events. Unfortunately Joseph was the only squad member not to make a finals play-off, but he made semi-finals in each event, against much older players, which is a credit to him.
Two former Academy players at the tournament also left their marks. Stephanie Barnett from last year's squad won the A Ladies Singles. The other, Vicky Stuckey, now 17, is currently no. 78 in Australian women's rankings. Vicky won the Ladies Gippsland Singles title.
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Good results at Geelong tournament, 14 April 2009
Our tennis players had good results at last week's Geelong Junior Grasscourt Tournament. It was the first major tournament for our squad members with all twelve competing.
Emma Waite had a great tournament when she and her partner were runners up in the 16 years girls doubles. Unseeded in the singles, Emma worked her way through to the semi-finals where she lost to the second seed.
Sophie Grumley (14 years) was another to achieve a good doubles result. With her Melbourne partner she played through to the quarter finals before going down in an exciting 6-7, 6-4, 14-12 match.
Joseph Colaciello was also finalist, this time in the 12 years' singles. He worked his way up to the quarter finals before being eliminated by the no. 2 seed.
In singles consolations Chloe Downie and Dylan Farquhar had made quarter finals. Dylan would have been disappointed in not going further after pressing his match to three hard-fought sets and only narrowly losing.
For other players it was a mixed bag of results. A combination of bad luck, injuries, and tough draws prevented them doing better than they might have. However, all played a good number of matches, met some tough opposition, and had a good chance to apply some of the skills they have recently learned.
We are confident that players will take a lot away from this tournament and will steadily improve as the year progresses.
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Charlton returns to head tennis program, 18 December 2008
The Gippsland Sports Academy and Tennis Victoria are very pleased to announce the appointment of Graham Charlton as the head coach of the Tennis Victoria, Tennis Program for 2009. Graham has been reappointed after previously holding the position in 2004-2006.
Graham is a highly regarded coach in the Gippsland region and brings many years of coaching experience. Everyone involved with the Tennis Program are very pleased with having Graham on board for 2009.
The Gippsland Sports Academy are sure that Graham's appointment will continue to allow talented tennis players in Gippsland to develop and achieve at the highest level. Another highly successful year is expected in 2009.
Amanda Dundas coach for the last two years has been appointed as Tennis coach of a resort in Singapore. We wish her well in her new endeavours.
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Top tennis at Bairnsdale, 9 October 2008
At last week's Bairnsdale Clay Classic Junior Open tournament the Academy's tennis squad members had an intensive week. All played in several events, and most tested themselves in higher age level events as well.
Jonathon Collins, 16-years old and one of the Academy's most dedicated athletes, won the 18-years singles consolation cup. He also made quarter or semi-finals of two other events. Jonathon has made few recent presentation stand appearances and his win was a fitting reward for this keen young player.
Two 14-years girls, Stephanie Barnett and Emma Waite, also had good results. Stephanie achieved a second place in the 14-years girls' singles and had a total three final rounds appearances. Emma went one better with final rounds appearances in four events, two of them being 18-years events.
All 10 development squad players made final rounds with most of them also entering in older age groups as well. Sarah Trett made several finals rounds and won the 12-years girls' singles consolation. Elizabeth Shanahan also played in three finals rounds.
Amongst the boys Ben Crowe and Tim Howe were second in the 12-years boys doubles, Tim was also second in the 11-years boys singles, and Devan Costigan second in the 12-years boys' singles consolation.
Others to perform well were Georgie Campbell, Erin White, Dylan Farquhar, William Patterson, Cohen Schuback and Callum Tomlinson-Dale.
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Solid results at major Glen Iris tournament, 8 July 2008
Despite cold and windy conditions Academy tennis squad members were successful at last week's 75th Glen Iris Underage Championships.
Most successful was Jackson Varney who finished runner-up in the boys' 16 years singles. Jackson also defeated second and fourth seeds on his way to the final.
Emma Waite and Stephanie Barnett both made round-of-16 in the girls' 14 years singles. Together they had more success in the doubles where they went through to the semi-finals before being stopped by the top-seeded doubles pair.
Also in the 16 years boys Jonathon Collins progressed through several rounds of the singles and doubles but was not able to make any finals. However, in the highly competitive Glen Iris event Jonathon can take satisfaction with his achievements.
In other news, Jackson Varney has been recently invited into the National Tennis Academy, which is run by Tennis Australia. Although he has not played in many tournaments, Jackson's continuing improvement at each event leads to progressive improvements in his national rankings. He is presently listed 329th in Australian open men's rankings, which is quite an achievement for a 15 year old. Jackson' s Glen Iris results are likely to further improve his standing.
We are delighted for Jackson that he has achieved this recognition.
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Wins for ex-Academy tennis stars, 22 May 2008
Former Academy tennis squad member Vicky Stuckey won the Australia Cup in Perth 10 days ago. The Cup is an individual title event held in conjunction with the national Pizzey Cup school competition. Vicky also had a key role in securing this year's Pizzey Cup for Victoria.
Victoria had an unbeaten run to the finals where they defeated New South Wales, last year's winners. Vicky was amongst those named in the top 10 for the tournament.
One of Vicky's Victorian team mates was another former Academy member, Sophie Vickers. Sophie later commented on the team support she received and valued during the tournament.
Vicky was delighted by her win in the Australia Cup. She said “It was a great feeling to finally win gold in my third year in the team.” Vicky had finished in third place in 2006 and was second last year. The Australia Cup is an Australian junior rankings tournament.
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Top Tournament for Tennis Ten, 13 May 2008
The 10 players in the Academy's Tennis Development Squad had excellent results at last weekend's K.Swiss Matchplay Series Tournament at Boroondara.
All players had the distinction of making quarter finals or better, sometimes in two different age groups.
Best results were:
Boys 10 singles Main Draw: Tim Howe - quarter finals, Dillon Farquahar - semi-finals.
Boys 11 singles Main Draw: Deven Costigan - runner-up.
Boys 11 Singles Consolation: Dillon Farquahar - runner-up.
Girls 11-12 singles Consolation: Georgie Campbell - semi-finals.
Boys 12 Singles Consolation: Ben Crowe - winner, Will Patterson - runner-up.
Boys 13 Singles Main Draw: Callum Tomlinson-Dale - runner-up.
Boys 13 Singles Consolation:Ben Crowe - runner-up; Cohan Schuback - semi-finals.
Boys 14-16 Singles Consolation: Callum Tomlinson-Dale - runner-up.
Girls 13 Singles Main Draw: Elizabeth Shanahan - winner.
Girls 14-16 Singles Consolation: Erin White - runner- up
The Academy's Head Coach Amanda Dundas expressed delight with the results as players had made significant improvements since their last tournament.
Ms Dundas said, “There has been a huge improvement in the players match play ability over the last few months. They have worked hard in the training sessions and in completing their training program.” She said that squad members have improved in all aspects of their game and that they deserve their great results.
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Great tennis results at ACT Junior Open tournament, 29 April 2008
The Academy's four elite squad members spent last week at Canberra playing in the ACT Junior Open.
Emma Waite and Stephanie Barnett won the girls 14 years doubles. They defeated the two best girls in Canberra in a super tiebreaker finish with final scores 6-4, 3-6, 10-8. Stephanie also made the singles consolation quarter finals.
Jackson Varney made the semi-finals of the 16 years singles, but unfortunately he eliminated Jonathon Collins in the early rounds. Jonathon went into the consolation where he played through to the semi-finals and narrowly missed on a place in the finals. Jackson and Jonathon played doubles together and were unlucky not to qualifying for the quarter finals.
The squad stayed at the AIS where they followed normal athlete routines and took all meals in the athletes' dinner hall. An AIS trainer took them through their recovery sessions. They used a hot and cold recovery, sitting in a spa for a few minutes then then hopping into the 12 degree plunge pool. They remained shoulder deep in the pool for a set time, usually 2 to 5 minutes.
Overall, it was a great experience both on and off the court, with some excellent performances as well.
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Tennis four set for Canberra, 16 April 2008
The Gippsland Sports Academy Elite tennis program consisting of four players from Gippsland will be embarking on its most exciting tennis tournament since the inclusion of the tennis program 5 years a go.
Head Coach Amanda Dundas (left) with the four squad members
Stephanie Barnett, Emma Waite, Jonathon Collins and Jackson Varney will be travelling to Canberra to play an Australian Junior Points Tournament from the 22 April through 29 April. The tournament is held at the National Tennis Centre located in Lyneham.
The group of four players and coach Amanda Dundas will be staying at the Australian Institute of Sport for the duration of the their stay in Canberra. They will be staying in the athlete accommodation at the institute and taking all their meals at the athlete restaurant. Before play every day they will complete their warm ups and then complete a recovery session after their matches with the highly professional institute staff.
“It's a great opportunity for these players to be get a taste for professionalism,” said Elizabeth Peers (Tennis Victoria's Junior Development Officer). “Amanda and Barry Stokes the program manager have done a wonderful job to organize such an exciting trip.”
On top of all this the Australian Olympic Swim team will be in attendance for their induction training camp before the Beijing Olympics so the members of the tennis academy will be rubbing shoulders with some of Australia most high profile athletes.
“I can't believe how excited I am about the trip so I can only imagine the children's anticipation,” said Amanda Dundas (Head Coach). “ I guess my job will be to keep a lid on things and make sure they take in all the Institute has to offer but keep them focused on the tournament, I expect them all to do quite well.”
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Hurricane conditions for tennis squad, 7 April 2008
Last week at Geelong the advanced squad players battled more than just skillful opponents. They faced hurricane-force winds, rain and dust storms. Organisers postponed matches because of the weather conditions, and the squad members did a great job in reorganising their time and preparing for their matches.
Despite the delays, most of the match play was in extremely difficult weather conditions. It was difficult for players to follow their natural game and perform as well as they had wished.
Stephanie Barnett, Emma Waite, Jonathon Collins and Jackson Varney were members of the Academy's advanced squad and were competing in the Geelong Junior Grasscourts Points Tournament.
Stephanie Barnett (14 years) made quarter finals of the doubles. In the same age group Emma Waite also made the doubles quarter finals (with a different partner). Emma was also runner up in the singles consolation.
Jackson Varney and Jonathon Collins played in boys 16 years events with Jackson making the quarter finals of the singles. Jonathon made the quarter finals of the singles consolation
The squad's next important event is the Canberra tournament in a few week's time. Players can look forward with full confidence that, after Geelong, they can deal with just about any challenge.
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Jackson qualifies for national tennis titles, 3 April 2008
Jackson Varney's recent performances have qualified him for the national 16 years tennis titles.
This is an outstanding achievement as it is only his first year in the 16 and under age group. In fact, Jackson turned 15 only last week. His first class performances in the 14 year age group have probably been relevant to his 16 year seeding.
Jackson impressed at the TCAV event in Melbourne last year and won an entry into the 14 years National Championships at Gosford in January. There he won the14 years consolation singles. Soon after, Jackson played in the Sunshine Coast Hard Court Championships where he won the doubles and was runner-up in the singles for 14 year boys. He has demonstrated consistent form since those events.
The acceptance puts Jackson in the top 64 players Australia-wide for the 16 year age group.
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Tennis two in tough Ringwood event, 31 March 2008
Emma Waite and Jackson Varney had very good results in the tough Eastern Region Junior Tournament at Ringwood over the weekend.
Emma reached the semi-finals of the girls U14 doubles, and the quarter finals of the singles consolation.
Jackson also played well and reached the quarter finals of the 16 years boys' singles.
The tournament is a major event on the junior calendar with rounds of 128 in some events.
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Tennis juniors make a great start, 31 March 2008
In the Albert Reserve Junior Development Series last week two of the Tennis Development Squad were runners up in singles events. They were Deven Costigan in U10 boys and Callum Tomlinson-Dale in U14 boys.
The Development Squad spent several days in Melbourne last week, and for some of them the event was their first time in a Melbourne tournament.
Unfortunately, bad weather meant the cancellation of doubles events, so not everyone could play all their scheduled matches. However, Head Coach Amanda Dundas said that the squad had enough court time to see progress in their games.
“Everyone did well, and they all improved through the week,” Ms Dundas said. She also expressed her delight in the tournament results and said that they are “a fantastic start to the year.”
Players were also exposed to a variety of interesting tennis experiences. They played their tournament on a new plexi cushion surface, and later in the week had a session at Melbourne Park on Show Court 2, which all enjoyed. They also saw top Australian players competing in a money tournament at Melbourne Park.
The Development Squad members who made the trip were Deven Costigan, Erin White, Callum Tomlinson-Dale, Dylan Farquahar, Will Patterson, Ben Crowe, Georgie Campbell, Tim Howe, Cohen Schuback and Elizabeth Shanahan.
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Solid results at Maffra Easter Tennis Tournament, 27 March 2008
The four of the Academy tennis squad members who competed in the Easter Maffra Carnival can be very pleased with their results. Most played in higher age levels and all achieved excellent results.
Stephanie Barnett, 14, won the girls 16 years singles, but also played well enough to make quarter finals of A ladies singles and A ladies doubles.
Jackson Varney, also 14, played only on open events, making quarter finals for both the singles and doubles. He he also went through to the semi-finals for the Gippsland men's singles.
Another 14 year old, Emma Waite, won her age group's singles. She also went through to the quarter finals for two open events, the mixed doubles and the Gippsland Ladies singles.
New to the Academy this year, Cohen Schuback showed his potential with a great quarter final showing in the 12 years boys doubles. At age 11, he was competed in 14 years events as well.
Former Academy player Vicky Stuckey, now based in Melbourne, was in fine form with wins in the women's doubles, mixed doubles, and Gippsland Ladies singles.
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Stephanie and Jonathon were tops too, 13 March 2008
While most of the Academy tennis squad competed at Bairnsdale on the Labour Day weekend, Stephanie Barnett and Jonathon Collins achieved successes in other tournaments.
Jonathon played in a Seymour tournament where, competing above his age level, he won the 18 years singles.
Stephanie travelled to Warrnambool to compete in 14 years events. She was runner up in the doubles and reached the singles semi-finals.
The weekend was a fruitful one for the Academy tennis squad as all who competed made semi-finals or further in at least one event.
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Top results at Bairnsdale Tennis Tournament, 11 March 2008
Academy tennis squad members had outstanding results at the Bairnsdale Labour Weekend Tourney.
Emma Waite and Jackson Varney both performed extremely well, playing across age groups and being competitive in all of them. Emma won the girls' 14 years singles titles, but was also a semi-finalist in the women's open and A Grade events. Both times she was defeated by former Academy player, Sophie Vickers.
Jackson Varney, 14, played mostly in open events. He made semi-finals or quarter finals in the men's open singles, open doubles, open mixed doubles and 18 years singles. In the A Grade men's singles Jackson had a comfortable win.
This season's new squad members also made a great start, particularly Dylan Farquahar, who won the boys' 12 years singles. A number of others were runners-up in finals: Elizabeth Shanahan (14 years mixed doubles), Callum Tomlinson-Dale (14 years boys' doubles and D Grade doubles), and Erin White (girls' 14 doubles).
Performances from Georgie Campbell, Ben Crowe, Deven Costigan and William Patterson were also encouraging. All made quarter or semi-finals in one or more events, frequently teaming together and gaining experience in doubles partnerships.
Players were supported by the Academy's head coach, Amanda Dundas, who lead from the front. Amanda won the women's open singles title and, with 14 year old Jackson Varney, made the semi-finals of the mixed doubles.
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Jackson continues to climb, 1 February 2008
Jackson Varney, a member of last year's tennis squad, has had outstanding tennis results in recent weeks. Jackson gave notice of his form back in September when he played well in the TCAV Championship in Melbourne.
Just prior to Christmas, Jackson won the boys 14 years singles at the Warrnambool national points tournament. In the same tournament he was runner-up in the doubles, and consolation winner of the boys 18 years singles.
Jackson had won entry to the National Championships at Gosford two weeks ago (from his TCAV performance) and there he won the 14 years consolation singles.
Last weekend Jackson played in the Sunshine Coast Hard Court Championships where he won the doubles and was runner-up in the singles for 14 year boys.
These are outstanding results and we look forward to Jackson's progress during this year.
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Jackson is automatic qualifier, 13 December 2007
Jackson Varney has qualified for 14 and under national tennis championships through direct entry. Direct entry is offered to the top 52 in his age group.
Jackson commenced with the Academy's tennis squad a year ago and has made exceptional progress. His high national standing follows a high placing at the TCAV Championship, and then his wins in both the 14 and 18 years singles at the Bairnsdale Clay Classic.
The championships will be held in Gosford (NSW) on 10th-15th January.
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Tennis youngsters to represent Victoria, 7 December 2007
Stephanie Barnett and Sophie Grumley have been selected for Victoria's Foundation Cup squad to play in the national final.
Stephanie and Sophie were selected following the recent regional Foundation Cup event in which they were key players for their East and Central Gippsland regions respectively.
Stephanie was selected into the 4-girl squad and Sophie is the emergency. Their selection sets off the successful year which both girls have had with the Academy.
The Foundation Cup competition is for 13 year and under girls, with the national event being played in Sydney from 8-10 January next year.
Congratulations to Stephanie and Sophie!
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Sophie and Sam lead the way at Hudson Bond, 16 November 2007
Sophie Vickers and Sam Hall were the Academy's leading players at the recent Hudson Bond tennis tournament in Melbourne.
Sophie, in the 16 years girls singles, outplayed two seeded players before making the quarter finals. Unfortunately, matched against the top seed, Sophie went down in a thrilling 6-2, 7-6 match.
Sam and his doubles partner reached the semi-finals of the 16 years boys doubles, a great achievement considering the depth of competition in this age group. Sam also reached the quarter finals of the singles consolation.
Most of our players faced challenging draws and found themselves in the consolation events. However, Sophie Grumley, Tessa Hawke, Stephanie Barnett and Ben Anderson all played well in the consolations and put themselves into the last 16 or higher.
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Sophie Vickers wins GippSport's Most Disciplined Player award, 5 November 2007
(Edited version of GippSport's press release, 5 Nov 2007)
Sophie Vickers, a member of the Bairnsdale Tennis Club, has won the GippSport Most Disciplined Player Scholarship for girls for 2007. Sophie was selected from a number of applicants across Gippsland because of the excellent example she sets to other junior players as well as her positive attitude.
According to Angie McKail the Secretary of the Bairnsdale Tennis Club, Sophie is not only a very fine player but she is always willing to help around the club. “Sophie is very happy to help out with coaching, assisting at tournaments and writing articles for our local paper. She is a great role model for all other young players in our club and we are delighted that she has won this award,” said Ms McKail.
It has been a big year for the 15 year old as she is a member of the Gippsland Sports Academy and was nominated for the Tim Forsyth Award for her outstanding achievements in tennis.
Sophie will be presented with a scholarship to the value of $200 from GippSport and the Bairnsdale Tennis Club will receive $50 for carrying out the nomination. The presentation will be made at the Bairnsdale Tennis Club on Saturday 16 November by Gippsport Program Coordinator David Roberts.
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Tennis squad in top form, 8 October 2007
Results at last week's 7-day-long Bairnsdale Classic Clay Junior Open were the best ever. Thirteen players represented the Academy with many outstanding performances and wins in 9 events.
Sophie Vickers won both the singles and doubles for girls 16 years. She also took on the 18 years singles and won it as well.
Sophie Grumley won the girls singles and doubles for 12 years. Nick Tile won the boys 12 years doubles and was runner up in the singles.
Jackson Varney played across three age groups. He was the champion for boys 14 years and 18 years singles, and the runner up in the 16 years doubles.
Tessa Hawke won the girls 14 doubles and was runner up in the consolation singles. She stepped to the 18 years singles and was eliminated early, but Tessa played well enough against the older girls to be a consolation semi-finalist.
Robert Panozzo teamed with ex-Academy player Chelsea Rawnson to be runners-up in the 14 years mixed doubles. Robert also made the quarter finals of the boys doubles.
Other players to make quarter finals or semifinals were Sam Hall, Ben Anderson, Jonathon Collins, Jo Commerford and Brendan Herman.
Tristan Salerno, the only player not on the list of finalists, has actually had a great week. Immediately before Bairnsdale he had played at Frankston where he and Ben Anderson made the last 16 of the doubles in tougher competition. Draws did not work well for Tristan at Bairnsdale, but he and Ben continued to show promise of a powerful partnership.
Having all players performing well early in the season is a positive sign for tournaments yet to come. It is also a great credit to coaches Amanda Dundas and Paul Osborne for being able to lift the squad to present standard.
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Tennis players in major tournament, 1 October 2007
Most of the Academy tennis squad played in last week's TCAV Championship in Melbourne where they competed against interstate and New Zealand players. With more than 700 players entered competition was of an extremely high standard.
The most successful Academy players were Sam Hall and Jackson Varney. Sam played into the Round of 16 in the 14 years boys' singles before being eliminated by a top-seeded New Zealand player. Similarly in the doubles, Sam and his partner went down to the second seeds.
Jackson Varney, in the same 14 year group as Sam, also made the Round of 16 in the singles. Like Sam, he faced a top seed, the no.3, and was defeated.
Eddie Hawke, who was with the Academy until last year, went through to the quarter finals of the 16 years boys' doubles where he lost to the top seeds. The result put him in the final 8.
Several squad members opted to play in the Streets Traralgon Junior Open Tennis Tournament instead of the TCAV. Sophie Grumley and Nick Tile both had fine results.
Sophie set herself a hectic program across several age groups and her successes in the early rounds resulted in her playing in 5 finals last Thursday. She finished with 4 titles and one second place. Sophie took out the 12 and 14 years girls' singles titles and the 13 and 15 years doubles. She was runner up in the 13 years singles.
Nick Tile was another who played well. He teamed up with ex-Academy player Brent Davidson for runners up in the boys' 13 years doubles final.
The TCAV Championships and Traralgon Open are the start of a succession of events that Academy squad members will play in the next few weeks. We look forward to watching their progress.
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Tennis players in tough Ringwood tournament, 19 July 2007
The Academy Tennis Squad faced high standard opponents in the week-long tournament at Ringwood last week.
Sophie Vickers won the Girls 16 Consolation singles., after facing several tough opponents before the final. The result puts Sophie in the top 17 players.
Jackson Varney made the final of the Boys 14 Consolation singles event. Unfortunately it was washed out on the final day, but Jackson also finished in the top 17.
Jo-Alexander Commerford was runner-up in the Boys 18 Consolation singles event. Having had a shoulder injury for six months, Jo has been on reduced training prior to the tournament. In spite of this, his determination during the week was inspiring.
Stephanie Barnett made it to the quarterfinals of the Girls 14 consolation singles event. It was a great effort, as it is only her first tournament in that age group.
Joshua Hanrahan faced several extremely tough matches which he won by using good court sense.
Sam Hall's effort in reaching the quarter final in the 14 under boys singles was outstanding, and is a credit to his determination to play tennis at his best. at all tournaments.
Coach Amanda Dundas said that the competition at Ringwood was much tougher than at the previous Geelong event. She was also impressed that all squad members put in a great effort throughout the week.
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Important team role for Academy tennis four, 14 June 2007
Academy players in the Central Gippsland team assisted the Region to an overall 5th place at the 2007 Tennis Association Regional Championships last weekend
Sophie Grumley and Nick Tile were key contributors in the 12 years group, which finished an overall 4th. However, the contest was extremely close, and they only narrowly missed being in the play-off for first and second positions.
In the 14 years competition Tristan Salerno and Tessa Hawke also played well, with their side finally finishing 5th Like the 12 year players, Tristan and Tessa contributed strongly to the performance of their side.
All 12 tennis regions from across of Victoria competed, bringing together some of Victoria's best young players.
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Youngsters go well at Nestle Peters Tournament, 20 May 2007
Nick Tile and Sophie Grumley competed in the Nestle Peters Development Series on the 18-20th May at Boorandara Tennis Centre. The tournaments are designed for under 9-12 players to gain more match experience in tournament situations. Many of the players competing are state ranked juniors for there age group so the experience of competing against these players in invaluable.
Nick Tile received a bye through the first round then won his first two rounds against quality opponents. Second round score was 6-4, 6-2 against the 7th seed. In the quarter final Nick won 7-5, 6-1.
In the semi final Nick come against a player that was well trained and more match toughened winning a higher percentage of the important points. Nicks effort through out the match was outstanding and he will gain much experience from this loss. After the match in discussions with GSA coach Amanda Dundas, Nick said “I know why I lost and will now try not to let a more match toughened opponent beat me again using the tactics he used”
Sophie Grumley won her first round match comfortably showing good poise and control of her game unfortunately she came up against the eventual runner-up in the second round of the main draw loosing 6-2, 7-5.
Although she lost the match in straight sets Sophie continued to plug away through out the match making the second set a very tough affair. Amanda Dundas GSA tennis head coach was proud of this effort saying, “It showed that Sophie was able to adapt her game to a better style of play to be more competitive and although she lost the match the experience she gained from loosing will be invaluable to her future development.“
After Sophie’s disappointing second round loss she went on to win the consolation event. “This showed great determination and resolve to bounce back from the main draw defeat. I am very proud of both players this weekend,” said Amanda.
The trip was enjoyable, rewarding and an overall success for Nick and Sophie who understand that although they had good results they must go back to their local private coaches and work even harder now so they can continually improve.
The next tournament for the tennis program is at North Ringwood in July, everybody is training hard for this tournament.
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Impressive results at Geelong Tournament, 18 April, 2007
by Amanda Dundas, Head Coach
The Academy Tennis Program in the school holidays competed at the Geelong Junior Points Tournament. This was the first trip for the academy and it was a time of getting to know each other and familiarising to the expectations at a tournament under the Academy.
The effort level and attitudes were extremely pleasing during the tournament. All players gave 110%, as the Head Coach that is all I can ask from the players. The results were good considering that some of the players have not played a lot at this level and some were moving up age groups which is always a tough ask at the first tournament.
The most impressive thing from the week was that all the players listened and tried to implement what the coaches told them. Instead of going on court and resorting to their game they all had a go at trying the suggestions made to them. This is the first step of becoming a better tennis player. Paul Osborne and I were really happy with the progress the players made over the short period of time at Geelong.
The most impressive results come from the 12 & under group. Stephanie Barnett made the Semi Finals in the singles and lost a close match to a player from Darwin who travels around Australia playing all the points tournaments. Stephanie also was runner-up in the doubles event; she is very much at home on the doubles court. Nick Tile and Brent Davidson both made the Quarter Finals in the singles and come up against quality opponents but they showed guts and determination to keep having a go, extremely pleasing to see. They also played doubles together and made it to the Semi Finals, they are an impressive doubles team. Sophie Grumley started a little shaker but then in her Consolation match she was unfortunate not to win, losing to the winner of the event 6-4 6-4.
Tessa Hawke who has been struggling in tournaments recently come though with a wonderful result of making it to the Semi Final of the Consolation event in the 14 & Under singles event. She was one player who had a go at playing a more attacking style of tennis at Geelong and it paid off.
The 14 & Under boys were represented by Ben Anderson, Sam Hall, Brendan Herman, Robert Panozzo, Tristan Salerno and Jackson Varney. Sam Hall performed well reaching the Round of 16 in the singles, losing to the winner of the event in a close fought match. The other boys lost in the first and second round to quality opponents some of the boys lacked experience on the natural grass but they keep having a go. What impressed me the most is their doubles ability. Everybody made it to the Quarter Finals and Jackson Varney and Tristan Salerno reached the Semi Finals losing to the winners of the event.
Jonathan Collins and Sophie Vickers had to step up to the 16 & Under’s for their first tournament in that age group. Jonathan performed well in the Consolation event reaching the round of 16. Sophie was unlucky not to get though her match she lost 6-4 in the third set after the match was carried over from the night before.
Jo Commerford was injured but still tried to play against the advice given. Joshua Hanrahan did not compete at this tournament but I am looking forward to him playing at North Ringwood tournament.
The Academy Tennis group has started well and are competing to their best ability. The next tournament is the Boorandara Leveller Tournament, which is for Sophie Grumley, Nick Tile and Brent Davidson. The rest of the academy group will all be playing at North Ringwood so everybody will be working hard to prepare for that tournament.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Victoria Shanahan to the group who was selected from Tennis Victoria to replace Edward Hawke.
Paul Osborne and I are pleased with the results at the Geelong Tournament. But we are all trying to improve for the tournaments coming up.
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Tennis Two play Traralgon ITF Tournament, 10 January 2007
Academy tennis squad member Edward Hawke and former member Chris Thomas both gained entry into the Loy Yang Traralgon ITF Junior Tournament last week.
Both players were accepted into the international tournament's qualifying rounds, where they acquitted themselves well even though both were eliminated. Edward was defeated by the second seed, a young Italian player.
Their acceptance into the Traralgon tournament is a result of dedicated hard work, and we congratulate both players on their achievements.
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