HEATHER Olofsson hopes to emulate her longtime friend and friendly rival Paige McLean and head on a tennis winning streak of her own.
The 19-year-old aims to go back-to-back in this weekend’s Red Cliffs Lawn Tennis Club Championships after breaking through for her debut win in 2022.
Olofson got the better of her long-time doubles partner 12 months ago in her first attempt in the women’s division, with McLean having won the previous three titles.
The Mildura Lawn Tennis Club member believes regular weekend play at Red Cliffs in lieu of her home courts due to recent flooding has her better prepared for the 2023 iteration of the tournament.
“It’s a bit different to Mildura but I’ve gotten used to them now and I feel like for this tournament I’m definitely prepared to play on them,” she said.
“I feel like at Mildura they’re more open and the bounce is harder while at Red Cliffs I feel the bounce is a bit lower, so you have to run to cover the court a lot more and generate speed on your shots.
“I just play consistently and try and get everything back. Sometimes I do like to try and hit a winner but sometimes when it doesn’t work, you just have to try and rally.”
Olofsson will be one of the favourites to win the singles title again on Saturday, with McLean now based in Adelaide for university. Club president Gavin Lynch, however, is hopeful for more championship ladies to enter to build competition numbers.
Meanwhile, the men’s draw looks wide open with defending champion Zac Galbraith in Darwin with family to watch brother Ben play in the NTFL.
Previous winners Troy Kelly and Patrick Reincke have emerged as early front runners.
Olofsson, who will also aim for doubles glory with partner Jess Tiller, said last year’s two-set win over her old friend was not easy to come by.
“It is very difficult playing against her because she’s so consistent in how she plays, so I had to try not to make eye contact and pretend it was someone I didn’t know,” she said.
“But she’s a great player and you can tell why she had won three in a row.
“When I won the first set, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I had to stay calm and just keep getting everything back.
“It was amazing, just coming back to the club house and everyone saying ‘congratulations’ was a great experience.”
Lynch is hopeful entries for the weekend will pass the 100 mark and believes Mildura players taking to the Red Cliffs courts could help that number.
“Obviously it was a tough time for them but we’ve been grateful to have them joining us across the summer,” he said.
“We’ve had entries from Mildura players who haven’t previously played, which I believe comes from spending time out here.
“The initial forecast was well over the 40s but we’ve managed to dodge a bullet with the heat on Saturday and Sunday.
“The courts are in great nick at the moment and probably playing the best they have for four or five years. There’s a lot of work that’s been put into them.”
The action begins Friday with the Twilight 60s competition, before the singles championships begin at 9am Saturday, followed by doubles at 1.30pm and mixed doubles from 10am on Sunday.
Entries are still being accepted before the tournament. To enter, contact Gavin Lynch on 0400 834 300.
