Tennis to serve up new opportunities
Break point for competitors as game gets back on court
TENNIS is back on the court in Townsville, and with that comes the chance to grow the sport’s presence in the region.
That is the opinion of Townsville Tennis president Brad Matheson, who said as one of the first sports to return those craving a competitive outlet could well turn to them.
Members and the general public could book a court from yesterday and play singles matches, however the clubhouse will remain closed to ensure areas where larger numbers of people may congregate cannot do so.
Matheson said with gyms closed and team sports on the backburner, tennis was in a unique position to engage a previously untapped demographic.
With that could come an influx of members and even junior numbers.
“We’re setting up for a busy long weekend and I think the courts are going to be pretty full,” he said.
“From there we are going to get all of our current members and players back in a bit of rush, they’re all keen to get back.
“After that I can see it as an opportunity for tennis to really grow its numbers and popularity in Townsville … they don’t have be completely locked up any more.”
While competitions and fixtures are still a way off, Matheson said the club’s committee were discussing ways to bring a singles tournament to the community in a manner that adheres to social distancing and health guidelines.
Until that time comes, coaching lessons can be arranged with Townsville Tennis head coach Wayne Hannah to allow players desperate to get on the court the opportunity to keep their skills sharp.
Matheson said they would continue to liaise with Tennis Australia and Tennis Queensland to ensure they are meeting all health requirements.
But hope is now alive for competitive players to return sooner rather than later.
“We obviously want to do the right thing by the community and ensure that we stay on top of this coronavirus,” Matheson said.
“But as we get advice from the government and Tennis Australia we’ll start to slowly reopen some of the competitions.
“We may be looking at a singles competition that we can get going, because we are wanting to make sure there’s not four players per court.
“We just have to review it every fortnight and see how things are going.”