IT was early April, 1998.
Mildura was abuzz with tennis fever.
The Davis Cup tie between Australia and Zimbabwe was being staged on the world-class grass courts at Mildura Lawn Tennis Club.
Packed crowds, big-name players like Pat Rafter and the “Woodies” (Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde) were on court, and a bit of off-court drama – when self-exiled Mark Philippoussis unexpectedly lobbed in Mildura following his rift with captain John Newcombe – spiced things up.
Mildura was the focus of the tennis world that week.
The tie will be remembered for the boilover the Black brothers – Wayne and Byron – caused as Zimbabwe won, three rubbers to two.
But for Mildura, the big-picture rewards were enormous. It put our city in the international spotlight.
Just over two decades on from that memorable event, the grass courts remain as good as ever.
But to attract another major tennis event here, the riverside Mildura facility needs a major makeover with state-of-the-art plexicushion (the same surface that’s used for the Australian Open) to replace the tired hard courts in place now.
Talks are under way between Tennis Victoria and Mildura Rural City Council on plans to put in 12 new hard courts to give the local club a genuine shot at hosting a key lead-up event to the Australian Open.
The council has confirmed that preliminary meetings have taken place, but that’s about it.
I put in calls to Tennis Victoria this week to find out more about an updated plan, but I’m still waiting for a response.
A Tennis Victoria feasibility study in 2012 priced the 12 courts at $2.75 million. But you’d expect that cost to be much higher now.
Mildura club president Reg Arney said the club could fit six hard courts in without losing any grass courts under the original plans.
“We’d have to lose about eight grass courts to get our 12 – which we could do,” he told the Daily.
“We’d still have 24 grass courts …. and that’s OK, but we just don’t have the funds ourselves.”
I’ll keep pushing the council and Tennis Victoria for up-dates. But, unfortunately, the wheels of bureaucracy turn at a
snail’s pace these days. Nevertheless, Sunraysia will soon have other major sporting events to look forward to when stage 1 of the Mildura South Regional Sporting Precinct is completed in mid-2021.
It promises to be a magnificent facility and likely host for AFL pre-season games and National Basketball League matches.
Let’s just hope COVID-19 doesn’t stuff things up on that front.
