Barty parents to share experience with Burdekin Open juniors
LONG before she became world number one, a brighteyed and talented young Ashleigh Barty graced the courts of Home Hill Tennis Association, where some of the best juniors hit in the Burdekin Open this weekend.
A picture hanging at the club of a young Barty harks back to that time and serves as a constant spur for young guns.
Barty’s parents Robert and Josie will address players on court on Sunday, imparting the wisdom of the commitment and determination which helped see their daughter rise to the best in the world.
Tournament director Arron Klumpp said the Bartys’ address would be invaluable.
“As a kid, Ash came up playing Primary School Queensland Trials and made the Queensland team playing at Home Hill,” he said.
“They had the picture of her on the wall not knowing she’d become a world champion and it (talk) gives them that opportunity to talk to them about how Ash’s dreams worked and her dedication.
“A lot of kids aspire or want these things, but they don’t understand the work, determination and commitment required, so they’ll talk to the kids and parents about how to cope with those stresses.”
Featuring young guns from the region and across Australia, the Burdekin Open runs from under-11s competition through to opens and is the only Burdekin tournament offering Australian ranking points.
Part of the “Northern Swing”, which sees players compete in Rockhampton, Sarina and Burdekin before moving on to Townsville next week for the North Queensland Junior Championships, Klumpp expected a tight tournament.
“Players to watch include Ryan Schwab, he’s an older player than rest of field in the opens and he’s played it a few times and made semi-finals,” Klumpp said.
“He would be a dangerous player and a dark horse of the tournament.
“The top seed is Craig Claussen from Townsville; he’s trying to get his way through and Douglas Drummond from Brisbane is quite strong.
“Owen Ambrey from Rockhampton is another to watch in the field and Kanata Miyamura from Cairns is only 15, but he’s quite highly ranked.”
In the women’s open draw, Klumpp said teenager and top seed Saskia Anindita was the one to watch.
The tournament gets under way tomorrow, with the Bartys’ visit at 3pm on Sunday.