30 October 2020 | Tennis SA

South Australia’s second annual tennis tournament for players who are blind or have low vision will be held in Adelaide starting tomorrow.

Tennis SA and Tennis Australia, in conjunction with Somerton Park Tennis Club, will host the Blind and Low Vision Tennis Tournament from Saturday 31 October to Sunday 1 November 2020.

The open mixed tournament will see 17 players take part in matches at Memorial Drive, with the field set to include international representatives Mark Haskett and Dragan Bekric, along with international B4 category gold medallist, Ricky Segura.

The tournament forms a key part of the pathway for blind and low vision tennis. Under the leadership of coach Nick Bradley, Foundation Tennis Development at Somerton Park Tennis Club now runs the largest blind and low vision tennis program in Australia, offering social, participation and high performance pathways.

“We are thrilled to be offering the second South Australian tennis tournament for players who are blind and have low vision,” said Holly Tawse, Tennis Australia Talent Development Manager – Tennis Inclusion.

“After a difficult year, it will be wonderful to see players take to the court in the first event of the season.

“Our sincere thanks to Tennis SA, Foundation Tennis Development and Somerton Park Tennis Club for their continued support of Blind and Low Vision Tennis; the programs in place in South Australia continue to go from strength to strength.”

Tennis SA CEO, Debbie Sterrey is excited to welcome players to the tournament.

“We are thrilled to be hosting the second annual tournament for players who are blind or have low vision at Memorial Drive.

“Tennis prides itself on being an inclusive sport for all participants, and this is just another great example of our sport and tennis community providing more opportunities for our players.

“We look forward to welcoming the players and their families to Memorial Drive and hope they enjoy what is sure to be a wonderful event.”

The next state tournament will be held in Sydney, NSW from 5-6 December 2020.