Wilby Tennis competition grows
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The local Wilby Tennis Association commences this weekend.
This competition has the addition of two more teams this season which only bodes well for tennis in our local community. Tungamah and Mulwala will both have an additional team with the make up of the teams to bring some former tennis legends back to the competition.
Secretary Dario Prighel was kept busy prior to the season with many additions of the fixture created and revamped. The final draft resulted in a ten-round season with every team playing each other before breaking into two grades for a few rounds.
This competition has the powerhouse local hamlets of Burramine, Mulwala, Savernake, Telford, Tungamah and Wilby battling on the court each week. Each team comprises of four men and four ladies. Each player participates in four sets of tennis. A range of abilities and ages play each week, and this has been this competition has been the breeding ground for some of the district finest players over many decades.
This week matches commence on Friday night with Tungamah Green take on Telford, last year’s premiers Burramine verse Tungamah Gold and the two Mulwala sides lock horns in what will be a fierce battle. On Saturday Wilby will make the journey north for a hit against Savernake. Anyone keen to play for any of these teams is encouraged to contact Association President John Wright.
Thursday Ladies Competition
The Thursday Ladies team’s competition will commence on Thursday November 11. At this stage the organisers require one more lady to commit to the competition to fill the quota of teams. If anyone is interested, please contact Gert Brunner or Narelle Bassett. Teams are created from individual names entered. This ensures that opponents are evenly matched and new players can easily find a team to play in. At this stage the response has been excellent.
Wednesday Social Tennis
The interest in the Wednesday Social Tennis has exceeded all expectations with 26 teams entering. This is the absolute maximum that our club can have as we simply have no more courts. From an idea to get either new faces or returning faces back to the club the committee was happy to run this event with 6 teams. Therefore, this number is fantastic.
The competition will be very social and run every Wednesday during November. Spectators including kids are more than welcome. This will certainly ensure a great atmosphere. The Fast Four Tennis will be fun with teams pitted against line-ups of similar abilities.
On Wednesday, please arrive just prior to 6pm. A reminder that our car park is located near the hard courts. At the conclusion of the night pizza will be supplied and the bar will be open to continue the socialisation process.
Tuesday Mens Tennis
Tuesday night mens competition organiser Ash Wheaton has recruited well to ensure two more teams are added to the league this year. This year there will be 13 teams of four battling for supremacy. The beauty of this competition is it caters for all ages and abilities.
As number 1 players the competition includes local legends Daryl Bennett, Peter Thomas, Al Angwin, Ash Wheaton, Mike Lairson, Andrew Beggs, Al Angwin and Matt Brewer. These experienced players will be competing against young guns Liam Williams, Macca White, Lochie Forge, Corey Beggs, James Loughnan, Jack Bassett and Sam Davidson.
The competition also includes players of a high calibre who may be a bit rusty early on in the season but always are worthy tennis companions.
This group includes Pat Mansfield, Nick Mullavey, John Arnold, Jason Cox, Andrew Banks, Brad Sneddon, Shane Forge, John Wright, Jason Partelle, Tim O’Dwyer, Rohan Kaine, Dave Porter, Ben Cope, Jim Zanin.
Genuine number 4s Brett Chapman,Troy Seddon, Scott Jaques, Jason Bassett, John Wright, Simon DeOleveira, Michael Mills and Trent Head always make up for their lack of tennis ability with a willingness to banter on the court.
Big improvers like Jamie Hicks, Tom McKimmie, Clifford Nyugen and Wei Wong will certainly be watched closely. The growth of the competition is on the back of some outstanding returning players John Brunner, Lee Fraser, Andrew Freeman, Noel Thomas and Tim Clarke. The unknown abilities of new players Michael Ibbott,Brett White, Jack Sutherland, Jignesh Pujari, Kieran Kelly may well determine the make-up of the finals.
A great season is assured with the competition commencing on Tuesday November 9. Fill-ins are regularly sought, and names can be added to the fill-in list without the obligation of playing each week.
Goulburn Murray Tennis
Unfortunately, Yarrawonga was unable to field a team in the Goulburn Murray Tennis Association this year. All efforts will be made to plan to have a team in this competition in the 2022/23 season. Yarrawonga still has four of their strongest players participating in this competition thanks to the generosity of the Numurkah Tennis Club. Grant Chappell, Liam Williams, Jack Bassett and Lucy Bassett will all play in either the Division 1 or Division 2 teams for Numurkah.
Rock up and play sessions
The YLTC holds social aggregate style tennis at four different times during the week. Each of these events provide the opportunity for new players to come and trial tennis prior to committing to becoming a member.
Our main aggregate night is Friday night, and this commenced last Friday. With official competition not allowed yet the 13 players in attendance enjoyed a social practice hit with many picking up the racquet for the first time for the season. This Friday night, arrive just before 6pm and enjoy a relaxed competition catering for all standards.
Our other times where anyone can simply sign-in on the day are Saturday at 1.00 p.m. for all players, Tuesday morning commencing at 9.30 for our ladies and Wednesday at 1.00 p.m. for our mens social hit. There is no compulsion to attend each of these on a weekly basis although once you have tried it once it will be hard to not keep going back.
Saturday Morning Tennis
After a break for the Melbourne Cup Long Weekend, junior tennis will recommence on Saturday morning. Players that are in matches must sign in prior to 8.55am as we are commencing competition this week. Hot Shots and Coaching will continue to be great fun with a variety of activities planned.