Siblings claim club championship honours

In the Open Ladies Singles Lucy Bassett took on Ellen Bruce. The assembled crowd enjoyed the long rallies as both players manoeuvred their opponent around the court with clever placement.

Ten time Club Champion, Ellen is renowned for this and getting so many balls back with her great anticipation.

Lucy was able to match Ellen in the final and was able to win a few more of the critical close deuce games to get her over the line 6/1, 6/2.

Lucy is now a 2-time Open Club Champion at the club. Added to this, she is also the current Numurkah Tennis Club Champion. For a 15-year-old her future in the sport looks bright.

In the Mens Open Singles Jack Bassett battled it out with John Brunner for the second year in a row. The first set was a classic with both players at the top of their games. Jack was able to claim the set 7/6 after a tight tiebreaker.

At this stage Jack took a more aggressive approach and rarely missed a shot to win the second set 6/1 and claim the title. This is Jack’s third Club Championship in a row and at 17 it appears there may be more in the future.

This was due reward for his efforts in the sport. John’s sporting credentials are second to none in the region and his passion for tennis is incredible indicating there is still further improvement.

The match was eagerly watched by club legend Noel Thomas. Noel won the singles title 60 years ago and has lost little of this form when he graces the courts.

Saturday morning juniors

The final of the Saturday morning program took place last Saturday. It was terrific to see the courts filled as usual with kids learning a skill for life and creating friendships.

The Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club would like to extend their gratitude to the 240 odd kids that participated in the program. Each week they tried their best and it made the atmosphere fantastic.

Awards were announced before the morning began. The top four game winners for the season for each gender were 1st Elli Buerckner and Tadhg Foran, 2nd Maisee Pell and Edward Withers, 3rd Isabel Hargreaves and Wil Anderson, 4th Natalie Linehan and James Cummins.

Well done to all players, especially Elli and Tadhg who never missed a week and played very consistent tennis. Tadhg also won the most games last season.

Two Most Improved awards were presented. Tague Saunders and Milla Cox were the worthy winners. Both are very devoted to their tennis.

The Sportsmanship award went to a very deserving Anthony Nieuwenhout. Anthony is extremely fair when he plays, and everyone enjoys having a hit both with and against him.

Once formalities were completed the Parent/Child competition took place. It is always a highlight of the season and the kids loved playing with their parent or grandparent. The tennis was of a great standard and most importantly there were no soft tissue injuries amongst the more senior players.

Club Coach Greg Duns did a terrific job overseeing the Saturday morning program. He ensured each player had ability relevant drills to continue development.

Once again due to the numbers this year several young coaches were utilised to run the programs. Ella Rhodes, Jess Linehan, Mekaylah Duns, Lucy Bassett, Tess Bassett, Emily Linehan, Fraser Bennett, Jack Bassett, Laynee Rhodes and Hayley Bennett have been wonderful role models for the players and have always displayed great enthusiasm.

Other youngsters who have also stood into the coaching roles when required were also appreciated.

Lisa Linehan and Narelle Bassett have been the brains behind the operation. They create the groupings for matches.

This can be challenging and needs to be completed quickly. Lisa and Narelle manage this quickly and always with a smile.

Junior Tennis will be back in October 2023. This program has always been great fun and it is hoped that there will be lots of children playing in the 2023/2024 season.

Junior club championships

All events in the Junior Club Championships were completed on the weekend. These events were started in February and due to the large number of players, they have taken weeks to complete.

This is a terrific problem to have.

Each player was entered in two age groups to give everyone the most tennis they could play. The matches were outstanding, and the standard was very high. Congratulations to all winners and finalists.

Easter update

Preparations for the annual Easter Tournament are well underway. Both the courts and the oval are looking amazing, and it is testimony to the fantastic crew of groundsman the club has.

Entries reached capacity a day after opening on February 1. This has allowed plenty of time to organise the administration of the 1200 players.

This year the club has secured local musician Daine Runnalls to play on Easter Saturday evening at the courts. This will add another dimension to what is already a terrific event.

This Saturday and Sunday, working bees will take place to prepare the oval and also the courts.

On Saturday the lines will be marked on the oval. Sunday will involve setting all the netting up and a general clean up of the facility.

Sunday is the day where help is especially needed. Both working bees will commence at 8.30am.

Club presentation night

This Sunday, April 2 will be the Club Presentation night. The night will commence at 5.30pm and all members are welcome to attend.

The meal will consist of pizza and each family is asked to bring a dessert. The cost will be $10 per person or $25 per family. Drinks will be available at the bar.

Trophies will be awarded for both the senior and junior Club Championships as well as the for the award winners from Saturday morning tennis.

The final of the night is the presentation of the prestigious Club Person of the Year Award.