Doug’s ace serve

Andrew Mathieson
TENNIS tragic Doug Jeffrey stood at the end of the court, triumphant in a single moment he thought could never be paralleled.
He had just aced the legendary Frank Sedgman.
Doug still smiles about the magic moment to this day, shaking his head in disbelief.
The Australian Davis Cup hero might have come to the end of his great career but Doug didn’t care.
After the down-the-line serve at a tournament in Warr-nambool, 28-year-old Doug gestured towards the air, waving his arms in jubilation.
“That will live forever,” Doug says.
“I can remember it like it was yesterday. One of the blokes I see at Yarraville reminds me about it every time he’s losing.”
Doug’s other famous clash involved Neale Fraser soon after he won the 1967 Wimbledon crown.
Needless to say, Doug didn’t win that match, either.
“But they’d have to be the two highlights for sure,” he adds.
Now Doug can add another.
The Geelong Lawn Tennis Club member was presented the Minister’s Award for Lifetime Achievement during a Sport and Recreation Victoria awards night earlier this month.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s probably the ultimate you could get in sport,” Doug says of the award.
“It’s great recognition and I’m glad for the sport of tennis because there’s so many sports around nowadays.”
The award was the culmination of playing grassroots tennis since 1953, including 49 years administering the game.
The Highton man has already stood for club president, treasurer, secretary, tournament director and chairman of selectors – the last three he currently still holds – and anything else you could name.
Little wonder he was also named Tennis Victoria’s volunteer of the year in 2004.
“People don’t volunteer like they used to,” Doug sighs.
“So if there’s a job that has to be done, and no one will do it, well I’ll do it.”
Sometimes Doug puts in more than 60 hours per week in retirement.
But he won’t have it any other way.
“The last 10 years has just gone – it’s hard to realise I’m 62,” he says.
“I still think I am just 50-odd Some blokes get into their 80s and they just potter around – I don’t hope to do that.”
Doug’s fascination with tennis began when he grew up next door to some courts in Broadford.
Moving to Melbourne at 18, he married and headed to Geelong five years later on a promotion with the State Bank of Victoria.
He was keen.
“As soon as I started packing, I think I probably joined the club here in December before I even arrived in January,” he laughs.
Between then and now, Doug spent 15 years with the bank throughout country Victoria.
But Tennis was always his first love.
“Since we were married, I’d never been out of Victoria because every holiday I was at a tennis tournament – even Christmas,” he laughs.
He could, and still can, play a bit.
Doug was a regular in Victorian Country teams and, at 17, was regarded as one of the best players in the bush.
Later, he was a member of an Australian veterans team that won the 1998 world championship.
Retiring from the game now is still a long way off.
“I’m not really attracted to bowls at the moment,” Doug grins.
“Golf would be all right but I don’t really have the time at the moment either.
“I just want to play tennis as long as I can.”