1 October 2014 | Tennis SA

Tennis SA’s Foundation Cup is set to arrive in the Riverland with Berri-View Lawn Tennis Club hosting the event from the 7-11 October. The Foundation Cup brings the state’s best regional junior tennis players together in the 10/u, 13/u and 15/u age groups to play in a teams based event along with an individual event.  128 players in total have been selected to represent each of the six regions competing at Foundation Cup and will vie for the title of Regional Teams Champion. Players in the 13/u and 15/u age groups are also competing for the opportunity to earn a spot in a South Australian team which will compete in national events in Brisbane and Melbourne in December and January.

In 2014 the Foundation Cup is expanding into the 10/u and 15/u age groups for the first time to open the opportunity to more players for a longer period of time. “By adding the two new age groups we have been able to make the Foundation Cup a truly valuable and accessible pathway for junior tennis players in regional areas” said Tennis SA CEO Steven Baldas. The Foundation Cup has a proven track record of providing a platform for regional South Australia’s best juniors to compete with current world number 170 Luke Saville (Barmera, SA), world 210 Alex Bolt (Murray Bridge, SA) and touring professional Darren Polkinghorne (Port Lincoln, SA) all having played in the event.

The Berri View Lawn Tennis Club were able to host the event after gaining support from the Berri/ Barmera Council, Berri Riverside Caravan Park and the Berri Resort Hotel. “To be hosting an event of this type is very exciting for the Tennis Club and for the town of Berri, we are very thankful to each of the sponsors of the event who have made it possible for us to hold the Foundation Cup” said Berri-View Lawn Tennis Club President Garry Pinnington.

Mayor of Berri/ Barmera Council Peter Hunt said “We are very happy to have a major tennis event back in Berri and look forward to welcoming people from across South Australia to the area” “it’s great for economy of Berri and the wider community to have this many people coming in to the region for the week.”

Players, coaches, parents and Tennis SA staff will converge on the town on Tuesday the 7^th of October and will be attending a welcome function held at the Tennis Club on Tuesday evening. Teams matches will commence on Wednesday with the individual events played over the last two days of the week.