17 February 2012 | Tennis Victoria
Tandara’s women’s A grade team has set a new record, winning their sixth straight title at the 31st Tankworld-Rebound Ace Sports Victorian Country Tennis Association (VCTA) Country Week, which concluded in Swan Hill today.
“We’re happy to have won again. The whole team played well and we look forward to coming back next year,” said Danielle Bowles from Tandara.
On the men’s side, The Lecontes from Geelong took home the A grade title with a convincing 4-6-41 to 0-1-30 defeat of Mud Island.
Earlier, the event was declared a success by the players, the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club, the Sports Minister, Hugh Delahunty and local Swan Hill businesses.
“I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” said Anthony Slattery from Hay who attended Country Week for the first time.
“It’s a credit to all involved who put in the man hours to get the tournament up and running. We’re coming back. We’re propping up the bottom of the ladder, but we don’t care. Tennis is the winner.”
In contrast, Sandra Allen from the Wodonga Whiskers team has been coming to Country Week for 30 years, having only missed the first event in 1982, and said it was the tennis, the camaraderie, the sociability and the friends she has made over the years that keeps her coming back.
“We keep coming because we have so much fun,” said Allen.
Trevor Holt, the President of the Swan Hill Lawn Tennis Club said it had been a great week for the club and they would be looking to apply for the event again in the future.
“It’s been sensational,” said Holt.
“The weather has been great, the tennis has been great and the people have been fantastic – it’s what Country Week is.
“The club tries very hard to do the right thing by the players by pricing things accordingly and I think they reciprocate by supporting the club.
“It’s too good an event for both the club and the town to not put in for it. It doesn’t matter how much work is involved. That’s irrelevant.”
Java Spice is one of the local businesses who has benefited greatly from having Country Week in Swan Hill, with owner Peter Morrison declaring it their biggest week of the year.
“It has a massive impact because February is traditionally a very quiet time,” said Morrison.
“It’s a really big boost for us. In terms of the money that we turn over, Country Week would be a bigger week than our busiest week in December.
As the biggest grasscourt tournament in Australia, the Tankworld-Rebound Ace Sports Victorian Country Tennis Association (VCTA) Country Week saw 197 men’s and women’s teams and more than 1200 people compete in the round-robin format tournament.
Each team consisted of a minimum of four men or four women (with a maximum of eight players per team), who played in 24 grades ranging from A to C.
The 2013 event will be played at the Wodonga Tennis Centre from 11-15 February, 2013.
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