High praise after grass tennis
“I LOVED the feel of playing on grass. It was an almost surreal experience,” Mike Godlonton, who joined forces with Alke Bradfield to sweep aside all competition in the inaugural St Andrew’s College Lawn Tennis Challenge in Grahamstown last weekend, said.
The event was held as a fundraiser for the local Child Welfare branch and the proceeds from the tournament will go towards erecting a community centre for their centenary celebration next year.
Organiser of the event and St Andrew’s tennis coach Walter Eksteen has been wanting to arrange the tennis challenge for more than five years.
“I must have measured this court 10 times,” Eksteen said.
“I’ve double-checked and triple-checked the measurements.
“In 2016, there was only one weekend on the entire calendar free, at the very end of the cricket season and right before the rug- by season begins.” Thanks to St Andrew’s groundskeeper Roger Wilkinson, the court was prepared on the Knowling field using the existing cricket pitches.
Most of the 16 participants were playing on grass for the first time and were impressed with the quality of the courts.
Sean Thompson, who lived in the United Kingdom for 11 years, said: “I would say this court is on par with the grass surfaces I played on in England.”
If the grass surface was not enough, the event was given even more of a Wimbledon feel with players dressed in all white, strawberries and champagne being served to end off the first day’s play, stands on the side of the court for the spectators, and ballgirls and boys.
St Andrew’s director of sport Pete Andrew said he hoped the novelty event would give tennis a higher profile on campus.
“This is such a good opportunity to showcase tennis as a sport, as well as the talent of the students,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can get the boys and girls involved to a greater extent next year.”
The organisers are planning to make it an annual event.