As Australia enjoys watching the summer of tennis on TV or visiting Melbourne, six ACT umpires have been up close to the action, on court at Australian Open 2018.
Myles Emery, as one of Australia’s top line umpires who regularly appears on Rod Laver and Hisense Arena and Emma Walter, chair umpire, was joined by Guy Sancataldo and Marc Vandenbroucke in their second and third years at Australia’s premier tournament. This year the team included the debut of two officials, Ammad Shamsi and Susan Atkinson participating in their first Australian Open.
Ammad and Susan started out at a local line umpire course and honed their skills at the ACT Claycourt International events held at the Canberra Tennis Centre, Lyneham.
Ammad Shamsi, who started in officiating in 2015 has relished his time in officiating. “I enjoy being involved in a sport I love and feeling the rush of being on court with the best players.”
“When you sign up to tennis officiating, you will become part of the greater tennis family and you’ll always be looked after. Tennis provides a great opportunity to make friends from all over the world and travel.”
Susan Atkinson, also started in 2015 and enjoyed her first experience at the year’s first grand slam. “My first Australian Open is even more exciting than I thought it would be. Wandering the grounds and seeing the players, past and present, brings out the fan in me” revealed Susan.
“The buzz of the crowds and the standard of tennis makes it an unforgettable experience. The other officials from all over the country and around the world are like an immediate family with everyone looking out for each other. It’s been such a blast I can’t wait until next year!”
Emma Walter, ACT Officiating Adviser is excited about the opportunities available for people who love tennis to get involved in officiating. “Canberra hosts five premier international tournaments which is such a fantastic opportunity for people who want to be involved in a sport they love and as Ammad and Sue demonstrate, it is a perfect stepping stone to being part of one of the grand slams.”
“All people need to do is to express interest, attend a free introductory session and then get out on court and give it a go at one of our many local tournaments” explains Emma.
For more information or to register your interest in becoming involved as an official and being part of the action visit: https://www.tennis.com.au/act/officials, or find out more on Sunday 11 February during the Fed Cup tie.
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