Top return for tennis tournament

By JUSTIN JENVEY MORE than 700 sets of tennis were played over four days as the Myrtleford Lawn Tennis Club’s annual Easter Tournament returned for the long weekend. Club president Peter Ternes said it was a brilliant comeback for the event - after last year’s tournament was cancelled - with four days of tennis played in perfect conditions. “I don’t think we can complain about any aspect of it,” he said. “I made the comment that you couldn’t get four better days of weather, the courts were in sensational condition and the standard of the tennis was incredibly high. “Entries were slightly down on what we expected in 2020 but we anticipated that and were comfortable with the numbers we had, it just made it a little easier to run. “We had roughly 340 players and we played 600 senior sets over four days and the juniors played 160 sets.” A host of regulars took out the main grades with Aidan Fitzgerald claiming his sixth Men’s Open Singles crown when he downed Jake Harvey in the final. Fitzgerald also added another Men’s Open Doubles title triumphing with his brother-in-law Brandt Fleming and topped the Mixed Open Doubles with his sister Casey Fleming. Casey Fleming partnered with Myrtleford-born player Trudi Rigoni to take out the Women’s Open Doubles, with the Women’s Open Singles won by Sophie Vickers of Kooyong, who trumped Wangaratta’s Maggie Snowdon. A number of locals players also did well, including Delia Harrington who won Women’s B Doubles with Lisa McInnes Smith. Bernadette Thomas and Sandy Salmon took out one of the Mixed C Doubles draws, while Sam Morgan was one half of the winning team in another. Siblings Alex and Nick Salmon were runners up in the Mixed A Doubles, as were Ryan Gropel and Nick Garoni in the Men’s C Doubles. The junior grades saw local winners in Hannah Pear and Charlie Benson (Mixed 16 Doubles), Matilda Knobel and Hannah Pear (Girl’s 16 Doubles), Lily Cuskelly (Girl’s 14 Singles), Ethan Browne (Boy’s 12 Singles) and Garcia Zanetti (Combined 10 Singles). James Evans (Mixed 13 Doubles), Edward Walker (Boy’s 12 Doubles) and Molly Knobel (Girl’s 12 Doubles) were also part of winning combinations. “The players loved getting back here for the Easter Tournament and the support of our local members was fantastic in terms of everything that they did,” Ternes said. “We probably had 200 people out on the courts for the presentation and the caravan park was still pretty full Tuesday morning, so it was another great weekend for the club and the town.”

Top return for tennis tournament

Tennis juniors fight for club championships

Pickleball thriving in Bright

Easter surprise: tennis club up for state award

Best tournament yet

Tourism teems as Easter tournament approaches

Rufous Whistler – arrival of a summer songbird

Bombers go back-to-back in A grade

“No stone unturned” – Police committed to the long-haul in manhunt

Start your engines, Wilby Drags are back

Most popular stories