Super 10s National Camp participants, including WA’s Matthew Zatella, Gerard Hadianto, Thomas McKenzie, Nemanja Savic, Amy Findlay, Abbie Millis and Lily Edgar, were all smiles when invited for a photo opportunity with Rafael Nadal.
WA tennis juniors were well represented at the recent Super 10s National Camp, with seven WA athletes travelling to Melbourne to compete in the event which plays host to 64 of the country’s top 10 and under players. The camp ran during the second week of the Australian Open, from January 23-27, with players experiencing on and off court action throughout the week.
Matthew Zatella (Kwinana Tennis Club), Gerard Hadianto (Blue Gum Park Tennis Club), Thomas McKenzie (Hensman Park Tennis Club), Nemanja Savic (Midland Lawn Tennis Club), Amy Findlay (Scarborough Tennis Club), Abbie Millis (North Shore Country Club) and Lily Edgar (Reabold Tennis Club), satisfied the invitational selection, with top performances throughout the 2018 Super 10s competition.
WA players performed well within their nominated teams with Matthew Zatella’s team finishing second overall in the Super 10s boys division, whilst Amy Findaly’s team secured the title for the Super 10s girls. In furthering WA’s presence at the event, WA’s Talent Manager Damien Ward proudly managed the Runner-up Super 10s boys’ team, whilst Coach, Marissa Gianotti, coached the winning Super 10s girls’ team.
Off court action allowed players to get up close and personal with legends of the game including Rafael Nadal who invited the group on court for a photo opportunity following his warm up session ahead of Sunday night’s Final. Hensman Park Super 10s player Thomas McKenzie was no stranger to being on court with Nadal after tossing the coin for Nadal’s Quarter final match up with Frances Tiafoe.
Also reveling in the on court action, was Scarborough Tennis Club junior, Amy Findlay, who graced the court for the coin toss ahead of the Quarter final match between Elena Svitolina and eventual Australian Open Women’s Singles winner Naomi Osaka.
Seeing firsthand how the professional’s play, the Super 10s were fortunate to experience the live on-court action of the Women’s Singles Semifinal between Naomi Osaka and Karolina Pliskova. The 64 youngsters then witnessed history in the making when Aussie legend Dylan Alcott beat David Wagner in the Final of the Quad Wheelchair Singles, securing his fifth straight Australian Open title.
The world class exposure wasn’t just limited to court play, with the young guns privy to the Nadal/Federer documentary, Strokes of Genius, which showcases the rivalry between the two Champions that erupted surrounding the Wimbledon Final of 2008. The movie was aired ahead of a Q&A session with author Jon Wertheim.
The Super 10’s National Camp saw nominated players split into eight teams, each with four representatives from across Australia. Players competed in the normal modified Super 10’s format which follows the Fast 4 format with players playing first to 4 games. All ties contain a singles and doubles rubber of 50 minutes in duration. Players warm up together before the start of the tie under the guidance of their team managers before commencing their match.
The Super 10s competition has been one of the most successful competitions across the country. Many players who are dominating the Australian Junior tennis scene participated in at least one Super 10s season when they were younger.
The Super 10s is a competition for the best 10 and under tennis players in the State of WA. The competition commences with a Challenge Day where children are evaluated by managers on court. From the Challenge Day, the best 16 boys and 16 girls are selected and these players are divided into 4 teams of 4 players. The teams are assigned a team manager who will be on court with them throughout the season to provide advice and support.
Interested in the Super 10s competition? Click here to learn more.
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