IT’S a grand slam for Kerang Lawn Tennis Club this weekend when it stages its 100th Easter tournament.
The centenary event is already a sellout, with the maximum number of 420 entries filled weeks ago.
Club president Ziggy Taylor said this “truly remarkable” milestone for the club has become a generational event because it is such a family-focused tournament.
It opens on Thursday night with the Legends Under Lights match, which annually sees a clash between country and Melbourne teams – normally of the veteran vintage.
“Some years that means teams are husbands and wives, or parents and children, in a round robin format which always gets the tournament off to a competitive and very entertaining start,” Taylor said.
“First and foremost, this is 100 per cent a family long weekend where some tennis also happens to be played – and some of those playing stretch into their 70s and possibly beyond.
“Don’t get me wrong, the competition is fierce, but the fun is the priority and that’s what has kept people coming back from all over the state and for generations.
“We have 18 lawn courts, which is why numbers have to be capped at 430 to fit everything in across the four days – I’m not even playing this year as I reckon I will have a bit too much on to fit in a few sets.”
The Easter tournament is also steeped in history, with past competitions such as the legendary Belt, a leather clad toilet seat which was awarded to the ‘character’ of the tournament each year still be talked about.
And others are still talking about the equally legendary traditional roast roll night – or the spread of fish and chips for Good Friday.
“But a huge part of the tournament is the Log Cabin,” Taylor said.
“It has been the home of some very lively gatherings over the years and should be rocking again in 2025.
“Our Easter tournament has long been a place where tennis is only half the battle – survival across the weekend is the other.
“With the tennis, the music, the meals, the friendships, the entertainment and the setting, this event is woven into the very fabric of our community.”
Just as importantly – in tandem with the Kerang Cup meeting on the Saturday – Taylor said the tennis tournament also injects significant economic activity into the town.
“Local caravan parks are booked out a year in advance with visitors returning annually to relive cherished memories and create new ones,” Taylor said.
“For example, we have the Cabin Crew, who ‘fly in’ every year, always with crazy new crew shirts, and they have been doing it as long as I can remember.
“Or back in 1985 we had a 17-year-old player who wrote about the tournament, reminiscing about growing up as both a spectator and competitor, and describing the camaraderie, competition, and social traditions which make this event truly one of a kind.
“It’s that kind of social magic which been the foundation of this event, and which keeps bringing people back year after year, which sees past champions lace up their shoes one more time.
“You can’t create something like this overnight, this is a tradition which spans generations, has been built on 100 years of dedicated commitment by enthusiastic bands of local volunteers pulling it altogether and by the amazing support of local businesses who donate prizes and give us sponsorship.”
