THE longstanding relationship between the Mildura Grand and tennis in the Sunraysia region is set to continue, with this year’s Pro Tour to again be known as the Mildura Grand International.
Club president Chris Hobart announced the partnership this week as the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club (MLTC) entered the final stages of preparation for this year’s event.
“It is always a big event for the club and it is a massive commitment from a range of community partners – it is really great to have the Mildura Grand back on board again,” Hobart said.
“This year the event will again be know as the Mildura Grand International and it is just great for us and for the community to say that this great longstanding partnership is continuing.
“Again we look forward to working with them for another successful event and we hope they are as proud of the partnership as we are.”
The Mildura Rural City Council and Tennis Australia have also made significant commitments to the Mildura Grand International to ensure its ongoing success.
Hobart said the club was expecting a number of international entries as well as some of Australia’s most promising young players.
He said despite the challenging weather conditions in recent months the grass courts were in “great condition”.
“Coming out of this winter the courts were in pretty good condition and Shane (Moritz) has been able to get them up to a standard which we are proud to present to the community,” Hobart said.
“I guess we all know there are some challenging conditions in regard to climate and water around these days and he (Shane Moritz) is doing his best to have them (the courts) at a really high standard.
“We are very pleased with the players who return to our tournament each year and for the tennis-loving public you can potentially see the stars of the future in action.”
This year’s event will again see the MLTC host a number of corporate functions with the women’s luncheon again the flagship event.
Plans are also underway for a reunion of past and present members to celebrate the club’s 101 years of operation.
“We are also looking at trying to run a reunion for past members of the club – the club is actually 101 years old this year,” Hobart said.
“The plan is to put together a Mildura Lawn Tennis Club 101 reunion dinner and have a hit of tennis on the Saturday afternoon.
“Since we talked about the idea there has been a real sense of enthusiasm about what we might be able to put together.
“It does come at a hectic time for the club but if we can re-engage with past members of the club and can celebrate the history of the club that would be a great thing.
“A lot of past members have gone on to play prominent roles in tennis and in the community so it would be nice to have everyone back together to celebrate the strong history of the club.”
Anyone who is interested in finding out more about MLTC events or corporate packages for the Mildura Grand International can do so via the club’s website.
