Tennis veterans keep returning
queues had been longer than expected, he said. ‘‘I’ve never seen a group of people go through water like they did on Friday. The water queues were longer than the bar queues, there was free water being handed out everywhere.’’
Burrows said Red Frogs volunteers gave out more than 55,000 cups of water throughout the day.
A fire hydrant provided welcome relief for revellers mid-afternoon, with some choosing to cool off while dancing in the water and others filling bottles from its constant flow.
While there were a lot of challenges in starting an event in a new city, the festival had been a ‘‘resounding success’’ overall, he said. ‘‘Everyone had a good time. The crowds were really well behaved, the artists were extremely happy, Cardi B showed up a bit late but she made it.’’
Extra police were in Nelson to cover the event but few arrests were made.
Nelson Bays area commander Inspector Paul Borrell praised the way concertgoers looked out for each other, reporting and supporting others who became unwell or distressed.
Burrows said the organisers wanted to bring the festival back to Nelson in 2020. As the fluorescent yellow balls swished across the semifinal nets at the ASB Classic, both matches had the smarts of age versus the physicality of youth.
Tournament darling Bianca Andreescu, 18, of Canada defeated Taiwan’s Su-wei Hsieh, 33. But Germany’s Julia Goerges, aged 30, was victorious over 20-yearold Slovakian Viktoria Kuzmova.
At one time, those in their late 20s and early 30s would be seriously considering retirement, but it’s no longer the case. Ashley Wilson, who was New Zealand’s highest ever ranked tennis player, making number 4 in the 85+ age group in 2017, was not surprised some of the more mature players were making their mark – especially in tennis.
‘‘Skill will beat power every day of the week, and that’s why age isn’t as big a factor in tennis as it is in other sports,’’ Wilson said.
With arthritis in both hips, Wilson’s tennis playing days are becoming tougher, but at 87, he has no plans to stop just yet.
‘‘These ladies playing at the ASB aren’t old, they’re young compared to me, mate, but you can already see they are playing smarter, not harder.’’
ASB quarter-finalist Venus Williams was a prime example.
The 38-year-old said at the start of the tournament age was no barrier. She intends to appear at the Tokyo Olympics, and continue to play for pay into her 40s.
‘‘I know she was beaten on Friday, but the eyeball test tells you she is playing a lot smarter
‘‘They’re young compared to me, mate, but you can already see they are playing smarter, not harder. Venus is a prime example of that.’’ Ashley Wilson, right