After staging another successful Easter tennis tournament, the Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club could see its work acknowledged with a Victorian award.
The 99th Annual Easter Tournament has been nominated for Most Outstanding Tournament at the Victorian Tennis Awards, which will be held on October 17 in Kooyong.
The event, which ran from April 7 to 10, saw Sam Thompson and Shepparton native Olivia Quigley claim top prizes in the men’s and women’s open singles, respectively.
The tournament was hailed a major success after the October 2022 floods had taken a particular toll on the club facilities, with as much as 2m of water blanketing the area.
Club committee member Jarrod Bingham was understandably elated following the event’s recognition.
“We had a lot of people put a lot of work into getting the tournament up and running,” Bingham said.
“We think it’s a great event, and to get noticed on this scale with Tennis Victoria is something we’re very proud of.”
Another Easter tournament is among the two other nominees.
Those were the 2023 Open 3K ALCTA Easter Open at Rye Tennis Club and January’s Australian Seniors Individual Championships in Swan Hill.
Bingham praised the community-focused nature of the 99th Easter event after the flood effects subsided.
“Our big focus was just wanting people through our gates playing and enjoying tennis,” Bingham said.
“We’ve worked hard putting on the event, with activities in the afternoon, entertainment and music and the like, just to make it something the participants enjoy while in Shepparton.
“It ties into what we want as a club, the idea of making it a place to play but also socialise.
“I think that’s resonated with what we’ve achieved.”
Bingham is looking keenly ahead to the centenary occasion in 2024.
Historically, the event has boasted notable names, including current ATP world number 12 Alex de Minaur, who competed during his junior days.
“In late March, we’ll get an extra daylight savings hour and that could mean 40 to 50 extra players in the draw,” Bingham said.
“We’re thinking we’d like to have a night at the club before (the tournament) kicks off to recognise the history.
“We’re looking forward to celebrating 100 years and putting something on that people will enjoy.”