TENNIS SA today launched the innovative National Tennis League (NTL) at Memorial Drive confirming that Junior Wimbledon Champion Luke Saville, International player Colin Ebelthite and International doubles player Todd Perry among others will play in the South Australian league commencing 3 November.
SA’s NTL competition will comprise of six men’s teams and six women’s teams, with the top two teams heading to Melbourne to compete against Victoria and Western Australia in the inaugural NTL finals at Melbourne Park during the finals week of the Australian Open.
“Team tennis (competition tennis) is a large part of the Australia’s tennis culture. The NTL is going to play a pivotal role in lifting the profile of competition tennis locally as well as provide professional playing opportunities for aspiring ATP/WTA players” said Alistair MacDonald, Tennis CEO.
“It will be short, sharp and shiny,” said MacDonald.
To encourage transition for young players through the pathway, each NTL team is required to have a minimum of two players, 18 years or younger, as of the start of the NTL-SA.
This rule will allow a number of developing juniors to be a part of the NTL competition and is ideal for South Australian National Academy players such as Brooke Rischbieth, Li Tu, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jack Schipanski and Bradley Mousley who are based at Memorial Drive.
For 2011, all matches of the NTL-SA regular season, rounds 1-5, will be played at the Millswood Complex, Chelmsford Avenue, Millswood with first round commencing Thursday 3 November 2011.
The finals of the NTL-SA will be played on Thursday 22 December at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre. Entry to all NTL-SA matches is free and each NTL-SA league match will consists of four singles and two doubles played across two courts.
In 2012, the aim is to expand the NTL to include the five mainland states.
NTL match results will be published immediately after each round of play at www.tennis.com.au/competitions/national-tennis-league
Download the NTL-SA Media Kit here.
For NTL-SA weekly preview and review releases please contact:
Clare Chapman, Tennis SA on 08 7224 8100 or email [email protected].
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