2 August 2016 | By Colin Adrian (Tennis ACT Board Member)

Anyone for a little bit of tennis trivia?

Test your local tennis knowledge.

Here is a (not so short) Q&A all relating to ACT Tennis history.

 

Good luck…

1. Who are the famous Australian coach and Canberra Junior (pictured)?

A: CHARLIE HOLCOMBE AND CHARLIE HOLLIS.  Charlie Hollis previously coached in Gosford and was renowned for coaching Rod Laver, Mark Anderson and Mark Edmondson.  He coached all top ACT Juniors, including Wally Masur, from 1970 until 1982.

2. In the news section of the Tennis ACT website, which Club courts are pictured in the story on ACT Tennis History – Developing a Community?

A: AINSLIE.  The courts were opened on 21 April 1928 by Association Vice-Patron Colonel JTH Goodwin and featured an exhibition match between leading local players
Bill Freebody, Jack Ridley, Keith Carnall and Poss Sandral.

3. In what year will the centenary of an organised tennis association for Canberra be celebrated?

A: 2023. The Federal Territory Tennis Association was formed at a meeting on
21 March 1923, largely at the instigation of the Eastlake Sports and Amusements Club.

4. Ally Nish was a famous Canberra Tennis Player – which club (now no longer in existence) did he primarily play for?

A: NORTHBOURNE  (also known as “Doonkuna”).  Located in Doonkuna Street, Braddon, the club operated from 1923 until 1958, when the club amalgamated with Braddon.  The Courts were then used for student and junior tennis until the 1970s.  Ally Nish, in addition to being an outstanding tennis player, also excelled at cricket and gymnastics.  He operated the Ally Nish Sports Depot (Canberra’s first sports store), in the city until WWII.

5. Which famous Canberra tennis player was the ‘most feared’ local player and the nemesis of many interstate visiting players in the 1960s and 1970s?

A: BRUCE LARKHAM.  Bruce was the ACT Resident Men’s Singles Champion eight times in the 1960s and 1970s, winning 4 Men’s Doubles and 2 Mixed Doubles in addition to 5 ACT Open Men’s Singles.  Arguably, his most notable win was over Dick Crealy (an Australian Davis Cup member) in the semi and then Warren Jacques, in the 1967 ACT Open Final.

6. Who is the highest ever world ranked Canberra region tennis player?

A: WALLY MASUR.  Wally reached a career-high world singles ranking of 15 in 1993.  To date, Nick Kyrgios has achieved a ranking of 16.  The highest ranked female Canberran was Annabel Ellwood, who achieved a world ranking of 57 when she was a member of the Australian Federation Cup team in 1997. A special acknowledgement should also be made of Bobbie Miller who recently passed away at age 106. South African born and ranked 5 in the world in 1929 she lived in Canberra from the 1970s.

7. Name the brothers who were prominent Canberra players in the 1950s?

A: THE ROBERTS BROTHERS  (PETER AND CRES).  Peter won the Residents Men’s
Singles Championships 4 times between 1951 and 1961; the Men’s Doubles 9 times from 1950 to 1963; and the Mixed Doubles in 1949 and 1952.  Cres won the Men’s Singles in 1956 and the Men’s Doubles (mainly with Peter) 11 times from 1950-1970.

8. What is the link between tennis and the croquet courts at the Hotel Canberra?

A: EXHIBITION TENNIS .  In 1934-1936 the old bowling green (later, croquet courts) at the Hotel Canberra were used for major tennis exhibition matches, sponsored by tennis companies and involving top national players including Viv McGrath, Jack Crawford and Joan Halligan.

9. Who is the only person to have represented Canberra at a top level in tennis, hockey, cricket and Australian Rules Football?

A: KEITH CARNALL.   He was elected in 1996 to the ACT Sports Hall of Fame, as a full member, for all-round achievements in sport (the only person to do so).

10. Who, in 1990, became the ACT’s first World Champion Veteran tennis player?

A: KAY SCHIAVINATO.   At the ITF World Championship in 1990, Kay, after losing the Singles final, teamed with Jan Blackshaw of NSW to win the 50 years’ Women’s Doubles.

11. Which Canberra business was the major sponsor of pennant tennis during the 1980s and 1990s?

A: PAUL’S HOME CENTRE (later, Magnet Mart).   Owned by Paul Donoghue, one of Canberra’s most successful entrepreneurs, and a strong supporter of tennis at all levels.

12. Commentators at major Canberra tennis exhibition matches in the pre WWII years bemoaned the incidence of what, amongst the leading players of the day?

A: BLATANT FOOT FAULTING.  As a result, the Federal Capital Territory Lawn Tennis Association sent foot-fault posters to all clubs in an attempt to stamp out this ‘pernicious’ trend!

13. Who was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1997 for contributions to tennis?

A: ALISON IDE (nee Aitken).  Alison represented the ACT at an international and national level in tennis as a player, selector and administrator.  She was elected to the ACT Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

14. Which famous Australian player won the last ACT Ladies Open held at Manuka in 1969?

A: EVONNE GOOLAGONG (later Crawley).  John Alexander won the Men’s Singles.

15. Where was Westridge Tennis Club located?

A: YARRALUMLA.  The Westridge Tennis Club was formed in 1924 with members from the small community which developed around the Canberra Brickworks.  Originally located at Hill Corner and in 1930 moved to Mueller Street (for more information see the excellent “A History of the Yarralumla Tennis Club”, 2016).

16. In what year were the Australian Junior Hardcourt Tennis Championships held in Canberra?

A: 1974.  Organised by the Junior Branch Committee chaired by Ken Randall, with players from around Australia, using more than 94 courts all over Canberra.

17. What was an unusual feature of many tennis courts in Canberra prior to WWII?

A: THEY ONLY HAD A SERVICE LINE AT ONE END.  For many years it was left to the discretion of opposing pennant captains to come to agreement as when to change ends – i.e.  after every game or after double services.

18. Which promising Canberra junior won the National 12/Girls Singles Title in 2014?

A: ANNERLY POULOS.  Now Australia’s No 1 ranked 13 year-old, she was selected this year in the Australian 14 and under team for the ITF World Junior Tennis Asia-Oceania final qualifying tournament.

19. Kevin Chapman and Roy Smalley created ACT history in 1983 – why?

A: FIRST ACT UMPIRES TO OFFICIATE AT A DAVIS CUP TIE AND AN AUSTRALIAN OPEN.  Firstly at the Australia vs France tie held at White City and then at the Kooyong Australian Open in December 1983.

20. Name the caretaker/curator/groundsman of the Manuka Tennis Association courts, when they were the headquarters of tennis in the ACT?

A: SAM TRUESDALE.  (If anyone has information about Sam I would be interested in hearing from you).

 

HOW DID YOU SCORE?

< 10       Try harder!

10-12     Okay, well done. 

13-14      A solid effort.

15-17      A great effort.

18+         Fantastic effort!

Colin Adrian (Tennis ACT Board Member)