South Australia’s pre-eminent summer tennis competition gets underway this Saturday with round one of the revamped Metro Lawn Tennis Association (MLTA) State League.
The teams competing in the 2012/13 season are:
Men’s State League:
Louca’s Seafood Grill Trinity Titans – Defending 2011/12 Champions
Glenlea
Tea Tree Gully
Golden Grove
Memorial Drive
Seaside Loan Ave Legends
Broadview
Ladies’ State League:
Memorial Drive – Defending 2011/12 Champions
West Lakes
Doser Forwarding Freight Flagstaff Hill
Golden Grove
Kingswood
Seaside Gasworks Findon Flames
Goodwood Saints
Somerton Park
The MLTA conducted an in-depth review of the competition in collaboration with Tennis SA in the lead up to the new season and determined that, as the elite summer competition, the State League needed to consolidate by capping the number of participant teams.
After carefully analysing the quality of the local player pool and team nominations, both the men’s and women’s competitions were set at eight teams each. This had the added benefit of resulting in a fourteen round season that enables dates to work around the busy Australian festive and tennis seasons. The State League will break after Round 9 on December 15th for a hiatus until February 2nd and then runs through to the Grand Final on March 23rd.
Whilst team success is the ultimate prize, players will also be vying for individual honours with the Lleyton Hewitt Player of the Year Award on offer in the men’s section and the Alicia Molik Player of the Year Award in the ladies’. The player displaying the greatest virtues of sportsmanship will be acknowledged with the Brenton Higgins Sportsmanship Award.
MLTA Vice-President Geoff Winter is delighted with the new model declaring: “Our aim was to provide a more consistent quality of competition and the eight team leagues and fourteen rounds should ensure teams are able to field their strongest teams each week of the season.
We believe the outcome of our review will deliver on our mandate of being the elite summer competition in South Australia”.
Mr Winter went on to acknowledge a key stakeholder “Coopers Alehouse at the Earl has been wonderful sponsors and supporters of the league since its inception and the MLTA is honoured that they are continuing this relationship for the new season”.
Tennis SA CEO, Steven Baldas, stated his approval for the overhaul: “When Tennis SA first met with the MLTA earlier this year, it was clear that they were delivering a high quality tennis competition and, as the governing body, we were on hand to offer any assistance required in the remodeling.
There has been an impressive level of diligence shown by the MLTA throughout the process of review and Tennis SA wholeheartedly endorses the MLTA State League” continues Steve.
“We are sure that all players will have an enjoyable summer of tennis ahead of them, and Tennis SA wishes all teams a successful season”.
The MLTA review also identified some administrative aspects that will be addressed and will include a new MLTA website and logo being released in coming weeks.
Fixtures for Round One, this Saturday October 6th:
Men
Tea Tree Gully v Broadview
Memorial Drive v Woodville Glengarry Wanderers
Golden Grove v Louca’s Seafood Grill Trinity Titans
Seaside Loan Ave Legends v Glenlea
Women
Goodwood Saints v Golden Grove
West lakes v Seaside Gasworks Flames
Doser Freight Forwarding Flagstaff Hill v Somerton Park
Kingswood v Memorial Drive
Full fixtures and results can be viewed at www.metrolawntennis.com
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