Local favourites Luke Saville (SA) and Alex Bolt (SA) are hoping to start their year in style when they compete in the City of Onkaparinga ATP Challenger 2015 commencing 3 January at Adelaide’s Happy Valley Tennis Club.
The pair – both looking to improve on career-best seasons in 2014 – has been practicing together at the club every day since Christmas.
“It’s nice to be back in Adelaide where I’ve spent a lot of years training and going to school,” said 20-year-old Saville, who hails from Barmera in the state’s Riverland region. “I’m really looking forward to the tournament next week.”
Saville and 21-year-old Bolt from Murray Bridge are no strangers to Happy Valley, both having performed well when it was an ITF Futures event – Bolt winning in 2012 and Saville making the final last year.
“I’ve been here a lot since the Futures began,” Saville said. “I always play well on these courts and I really enjoy it here.”
With the event upgraded to ATP Challenger status thanks to the City of Onkaparinga, both are excited by the opportunity to play in an elite tournament – with increased prize money and ATP rankings points – on home soil.
“To have a Challenger here in my home state is really exciting,” Saville said. “As soon as it was on the calendar, I put it in my schedule and highlighted it as a priority.”
“I think it’s great we have a Challenger here now,” Bolt added. “It’s pretty much my home tournament. I can stay at home all week, with a home environment around me.”
The event marks the first time that a metropolitan tennis club will host a major tournament leading into the Australian Open, and the Happy Valley Tennis Club community – with support from local major sponsor Power Health Solutions as well as Tennis South Australia and Tennis Australia – is pulling out all the stops to ensure a first class event.
Additionally, Bolt feels it will give him plenty of opportunity to get a few matches under his belt against some solid opposition.
“It will hold me in good stead ahead of the Australian Open,” he said.
Saville concurs: “This is my best opportunity to get some matches in. I’m looking forward to doing well.”
After withdrawing from the Australian Open Play-off last month due to injury, Saville said he has needed to tailor his preparation to get ready for the event.
“I’m really happy that it’s settled down like it has though,” he said of the injury. “I’ll be ready, 100 per cent.”
Meanwhile, Bolt will be looking to start the year well with a strong performance at Happy Valley.
“Whenever I walk on court, I always have the belief in myself that no matter whom I’m playing, I’m going to take it right up to them,” he said.
After winning his first Challenger title in Anning, China and cracking the top 200 this year, he has every reason to be confident.
“I just need to keep on riding this wave and develop my game even further,” Bolt said. “Hopefully I can make it into the top 100 this year.”
“It’s within reach if I go about things the right way.”
With the likes of Saville and Bolt on course to hit new heights during the 2015 ATP season, both feel there’s reason for optimism among the Australian contingent as a whole.
“Since Nick (Kyrgios) had his breakthrough, I think all of us Aussies are starting to believe we can make it,” Bolt said.
“There’s a whole bunch of us pushing into the top 100 now.”
With the tournament presenting an early opportunity for the Aussies to stake their claim, as well as established international players such as 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) vying for the title, the City of Onkaparinga ATP Challenger 2015 looms as an exciting event for players and spectators alike.
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