With another week until the winter season starts for senior and junior competitions, the focus last weekend was on the pilot of the Tennis Victoria State League Championships, held on the en tout cas clay courts at Royal South Yarra Tennis Club.
Eight teams from seven associations across the state participated in a round robin event, which was designed to provide premiers from club teams across the state the opportunity to play off against other club teams to be crowned state champions of their grade.
The pilot was to see what the players thought of the grading system, how grading from the various associations compared, the format, event timing and the overall concept.
The eight teams were graded based on their UT rating and split into two divisions of four teams, playing four doubles sets per match – two pairs playing the oppositions pairs.
Tennis Geelong was represented by Section 1 men’s premiers Grovedale, who were grouped with Overport Park from Bayside Regional Tennis Association, Notting Hill/Pinewood from Waverleigh Tennis Association and Eaglemont from Eastern Region Tennis in Division 1, while Western Region Tennis Association, Mt Prospect Tennis Association, Hawthorn from Bayside Regional Tennis Association and Glenburn Tennis Club formed Division 2.
On paper the teams looked reasonably even with average UT ratings between 8.6 and 9.0, and the results produced, on the whole, matched the ratings.
Grovedale’s first match was against Eaglemont where Curtis Fitzgerald and Rob Lazic took the second set 8-6, but went down 8-4 in the fourth.
Ryan Lee and Jai Boznjak fought hard in their sets but went down 8-3, 8-4.
The second match was against the highest rated Notting Hill/Pinewood, and while competitive, the boys went down four sets to love.
The final match of the day was the closest for Grovedale with Jai Bosnjak and Curtis Fitzgerald missing out on a close 9-7 loss in the first doubles, but continued on their strong form taking the third 8-3.
Rob Lazic and Braeden Lubcke battled hard in their two sets but went down 8-5, 8-3.
After a long day the team headed back down the highway having played some great quality tennis, against quality opposition on a surface that they rarely play on.
Tennis Victoria will use the feedback from the players to refine the concept, and Tennis Geelong looks forward to the next opportunity to provide local teams the chance to play on a bigger stage.
