HITS AND MISSES BACK ON COURT
COAST PAIR CELEBRATE TOURNAMENT RETURN
“NEW normal” is a blessing for Gold Coast tennis players, as action returned to courts and smiles returned to faces.
Sara Tomic may have lost 6-3, 6-0 to fellow Coast talent Olivia Gadecki in their opening match of the UTR Pro Tennis Series tournament yesterday, but both were left feeling good.
“To be honest I can’t even begin to describe how good it is to be back out there,” Gadecki said of the clash at Brisbane’s Queensland Tennis Centre.
“It’s been hard to train without knowing what’s next.
“I went through periods where I thought what’s the point? In the end I thought ‘if I’m training I’m taking a step forward’.”
Tomic agreed.
“It was so nice to be out there to play,” she said.
“It’s been difficult for a lot of players. It’s been hard to find players to have a hit with because some have found other passions.
“Since COVID there have been no money tournaments so how are we supposed to provide for the coaches, for trainers? You can’t.
“That’s why this has been really good.”
Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is an international rating system that connects millions of tennis players to help them find better matches locally.
Gadecki said the system is already proving a hit.
“This UTR system is really good because it’s really accurate,” she said.
The UTR series is being played across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
Australia’s pro players have the opportunity to compete for $450,000 in prizemoney.