FOUR district tennis clubs will spend the coming week putting the finals touches to their courts in readiness for annual Easter tournament action.
Players from throughout Victoria and New South Wales will converge on Barham, Cohuna, Kerang and Murrabit’s courts when four days of action begins on Good Friday, April 14.
The district’s largest tennis tournament during the Easter long weekend will occur at Kerang, which attracts close to 400 players each year to the club’s Museum Drive headquarters.
Members from renowned Melbourne-based clubs Beaumaris, Brighton, Black Rock, Doncaster, Hawthorn, Kooyong, Port Melbourne and Royal South Yarra regularly attend the competition, joining other players from throughout Victoria in contesting the various titles on offer.
“Kerang is one of only a few clubs in Victoria that has good grass courts that are suitable for the number of players that take part,” tournament co-ordinator, Wayne Hall said.
“There are players who have been coming to Kerang for the past 47 to 50 years whose children now compete.
“Many of these players started entering as juniors when they were three to five years old, and families travel from throughout Australia, including those who travel to Kerang after flying in to Melbourne Airport to play.”
The club relies heavily on volunteer support to run the event, with club members, sporting groups and primary school parent committees all chipping in to assist with catering.
Action will begin on early on Good Friday, April 14, with the open men’s and ladies singles finals the highlight of play on Monday, April 17.
Competition will cater for open and graded players, as well as categories for 40 years and over, parent and child, father and son, mother and daughter, and underage sections.
