15 March 2012 | Tennis Victoria

Lots of hard work on the tennis court is starting to pay off for Connor Di Marco (Mill Park), who recently had his best finish at a nationals event, 10^th place at the 2012 Optus 12s National Grasscourt Championships.

The 10^th place finish, along with being selected for the Victorian Bruce Cup team in 2011 and winning his first Optus Junior Tour (OJT) event in October, the Bendigo Tennis Association Spring OJT, means that Connor is making steady progress towards reaching his tennis goals.

“I dream of one day playing on the Pro Tour and winning a grand slam title,” said Connor, who started playing tennis at four years of age.

Tennis runs in the family, with Connor’s great grandfather having a dream that one of his grandchildren would follow in his footsteps and play competitive tennis.

“It skipped a generation, but he would certainly be very proud of what his great grandchild has achieved,” said Pierre Di Marco, Connor’s father.

“He loves hitting balls and when he was younger we had to drag him home from the courts, and then first thing each morning he would ask if he could go back to the courts and hit some more.”

An aggressive baseliner, Connor says he enjoys the intensity and the tactics of tennis, and he thrives on the competition. He said he also enjoys the friendships he has made through training and tournaments.

Connor’s favourite player is Roger Federer because he admires how he has been able to stay at the top of his game for such a long period of time. 

“I also like to watch Gael Monfils because of the athleticism he shows on court and he always seems to be having fun.”

Currently ranked No.3 in Australia and No.1 in Victoria for his birth year, Connor is a member of Tennis Victoria’s Future Stars Program and trains and plays for 14-16 hours per week.

“Connor always has a great attitude at training and is really starting to understand what it takes to be a professional player,” said Emily Rae, Tennis Victoria’s Player Development Coordinator.

“He is working hard every time he steps on court and that commitment is paying off as Connor is achieving personal best performances.”