Extra serve too much for Mildura courts, says tennis club

MILDURA Lawn Tennis Club (MLTC) has knocked back the opportunity to host a second Pro Tour event this year.

The decision comes with less than a month until the start of the Mildura Grand Tennis International, one of the biggest events on the regional sporting calendar.

MLTC, which made a trading loss last financial year, was approached by Tennis Australia about the potential of staging a second event after an alternative venue had to be found because of the recent bushfires in NSW.

Club president Chris Hobart defended the committee’s decision to decline Tennis Australia’s offer.

“We just felt we weren’t in a position to take on another event of that size straight after the Mildura Grand International,” Mr Hobart said.

“We had to consider our volunteers and the extra commitment it would have taken from them and also the effect two weeks of continual tennis would have had on our courts.”

The Mildura Pro Tour event attracts players from around the world each year and Mr Hobart acknowledged a second event would have had the potential to provide significant financial and economic benefits to the region.

But he said after consultation with long-time club curator Shane Maritz it was decided the courts would not stand up to the extra play.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make and we certainly took into consideration the financial benefits to the club a second event would have brought,” Mr Hobart said.

“But after speaking to our curator, we had to think about the long-term affect it would have had on our courts.

“(Mr Maritz) didn’t feel the courts would stand up to two weeks of continual tennis and in the end we took his advice on that.”

Mildura sport and recreation councillor Glenn Milne said the council had not been approached by MLTC about the prospect of hosting a second event.

“I haven’t heard anything about it, but if there was the opportunity to support another event which brought additional tourism to the region and filled beds, I’m sure it would have been given every consideration by council,” Cr Milne said.

“We are always flexible when it comes to things like this and I think I can be fairly confident in saying it would have been supported by council.”

The council is a major financial partner of the Mildura Grand Tennis International, which has provided a stepping-stone for some of the world’s top tennis players.

Current women’s world No.1 Ash Barty is a former winner of the Mildura event and this year’s runner-up in the men’s Australia Open doubles final, Luke Saville, was a regular player before making it on the men’s tour.

Mr Hobart said MLTC was still committed to hosting the Mildura Grand Tennis International moving forward and discussions were already underway with Tennis Australia about 2021.