REGISTRATIONS for the 39th Ouyen Lawn Tennis Club Annual Rohan Gregg Labour Day tournament are open.
President Paul Dean said the three-day event starting Saturday, March 6, has drawn more than 100 players in previous years.
The format of the tournament differs from other Sunraysia tennis events because it is run as a knock-out instead of a round-robin.
“Saturday, we have men’s and women’s singles as well as our veterans events. Sunday, we do doubles and Monday is mixed doubles,” said Mr Dean.
“The knock-out works by everyone playing a heat which determines which pool they are placed in and from then on competitors move through rounds of the tournament if they win.
“Unless the numbers are particularly low in a grade, we avoid doing a round robin.
“We accommodate for all skill levels, right up to top level players,” he said.
Mr Dean said Mr Gregg had been a part of the club since day one.
“He is a past President and life member of the club,” Mr Dean said. “He was there when we were formed in 1982.
“He was basically the backbone of organising the tournament for many years.
“He’d do up the draws and run the tournament box. He also coached juniors for a lot of years and played in our weekend competition for 25 years.
“At 21 he was gravely ill and I need of a kidney transplant.
“His mum Margaret quietly got tested to see if she was compatible, which she was.
“On his 21st birthday Margaret asked him what he wanted for his 21st, he said a new kidney, that’s what she gave him, and it gave him another almost 30 years of life.
“He died when he was 50.”
Mr Dean said the event provides a whole long weekend of great tennis.
“In the past few years we’ve had Dale Schmidt come up from Melbourne and he really sets the pace of the competition,” he said.
“We also used to get Josh Gregg on the courts who is a strong local player but he hasn’t played the last few years.
“We’re hoping to get both men down to the club for Labour weekend. We’d love to see them both in a final – it’d be impressive.
“Paige McLean won it last year and we’re hoping to get her down again.
“The standard is just great.”
Registrations are open until Tuesday, March 2. For more information or to register call Mr Dean on 0400 941 404.
