Vintage Hicks ripe for grass champs

GEELONG’S Matthew Hicks says age will be no barrier when he enters the main draw today at the Victorian Grasscourt Championships.

Hicks turned back the clock in a vintage display against close friend James Brushfield yesterday, claiming a 6-3 7-5 win that was full of class.

The 34-year-old said he was confident his tennis nous would see him more than make up the numbers in the 16-man field — which includes local wildcard Adam Lasky — when the main draw kicks off this morning.

“You’ve got to give yourself a chance and I feel like I’ve got nothing to lose now,” Hicks said. “At 34 I’m just glad I’ve made it and joined Adam in the main draw so we’ve got two now from Geelong.

“In a 16-person draw, the one thing that goes against you is you might be a bit tired, a bit exhausted, but the positive is you’ve got some matches on the courts whereas the main draw players are playing for the first time.

“So you have to go in giving yourself a chance e and if you make the main draw raw you believe when you’re e out there, and especially with th my experience — I’ve won it and I’ve lost in a final — so I will have belief.”

Hicks will take e on Chanchai SooktononEng in the opening round while Lasky has drawn top seed Jeremy Beale.

The pair will d be joined by five locals in the women’s main draw after Hope Curtis-McDonald also won through the qualifying stage.

Yesterday it was Hicks’ ability to hold out Brushfield’s monster serve, combined with his deft touch at the net, that proved the key in his stunning victory, and if he can maintain that form he is every chance to go deep in the main draw once again.

“It’s always tough playing a close friend in James, but either way there was always going to be a winner for Geelong,” he said.

“We know each other’s game pretty well and I know he has a very big serve so as a tactic to start with, I just stayed a long way back just to make sure I got in the point. If you can take away his free points you know you’re guaranteed to get in the rally

“I was 4-1 down in the second set but I knew it was only one break and anything can happen on grass, so I was happy I fought back.”

The men’s main draw will start today at 9am, with the women women’s s commencing at 11am.