Byrnes out to double his three-peat
GRASSCOURT specialist Daniel Byrnes will attempt to claim a second three-peat of Victorian Grasscourt Championships when he takes to the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club courts this week.
Byrnes is a five-time winner at Geelong Lawn, having saluted in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, but unlike last year when he was granted a wildcard entry he will walk straight into the main draw.
The 34-year-old again fronted up for Kooyong in the Tennis Victoria Premier League, but despite having played less tennis in the lead up to this year’s event due to his coaching role at Nitro Tennis, said he was excited to be back in Geelong.
“It has been tough this year, we have another club up and running and you are not able to spend as much time for yourself on court, so it has been a busy year.
“To be honest I haven’t had a chance to play a lot. I played the Premier League and that was not too bad but it is hard when you are on the court so much coaching.
“It has been a good little run in Geelong so it is always good to come back.”
Local hope and fellow past champion Matthew Hicks will join Byrnes as part of a group of veterans aiming for a state title at Geelong but there is a new wave of players coming through that also will be looking to make their mark on the grass.
Byrnes said while the younger players had him covered in certain areas he would have a few tricks up his sleeve to combat their superior fitness on court.
“I just try to get out a couple of weeks before on the grass courts at Kooyong and have a bit of a hit. I will try to play with some of the younger guys if I can because the fitness is not as strong as it should be,” he said.
“This year I will have to change the way I play a little bit more and see how I go. I have heard the field this year is fairly strong so it should be interesting.
“The younger guys are fitter and stronger than a lot of the players when I was younger … so the kids are a lot fitter and faster but the other skills could be a bit better, but I am not getting any younger, I am 34 now, and it gets harder the older you get.”