Tennis Victoria’s 2023 Country Week will no longer be held in Shepparton.
Greater Shepparton City Council advised the organisation the region would be unable to host the event next year, with recent floods taking their toll on courts at Mooroopna.
In a statement Tennis Victoria said council had made the decision it was unable to do the work to prepare them (the courts) for the event.
“Shepparton accommodation providers have already been notified by council and as a result we understand some players have been informed,” the statement read.
Due to be held in Feburary 2023, the event was to be shared across Shepparton and Mooroopna lawn tennis clubs’ courts.
Shepparton president Kevin Hicks said the club would have liked an opportunity to look at further options for the event.
“At this stage it’s just been cancelled by the council without further notice,” Hicks said.
“It’s very disappointing and it’s a big event that we would’ve loved to accommodate because sometimes these opportunities are created and are denied when you don’t take them up.
“It would’ve been massive for Shepparton and now it’s not going to happen.”
Coming out of the height of COVID-19 and the recent floods, the tournament was set to provide a much-needed chance for the club to generate revenue.
Yet despite the cancellation - it is not all doom and gloom for the club - with the courts well and truly back in action and entries now open for the Goulburn Valley Junior and Open Championship beginning on January 1.
“With a bit more sun on them the courts will bounce back pretty quickly,” Hicks said.
“The curators have got them back to good playing surfaces already and as they dry out they’ll play well.”