A member of Australian tennis royalty has weighed in on one of the Goulburn Valley’s most storied events on the tennis calendar.
This weekend’s Easter Tournament hosted at Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club has caught the attention of three-time Wimbledon doubles winner John Fitzgerald, who has rallied behind the event at a special time of the year.
“I always appreciate Easter tournaments no matter where in Australia they are, it warms my heart to see them still being held,” he said.
“They are an integral part of my development as a junior and they helped provide so many opportunities ― I loved being a part of them and playing in them.
“These events are the backbone of many regional tennis clubs.
“Although I never got to play in the Shepparton event, I grew up in South Australia, but I’ve heard it’s one of the memorable events in Victoria over the Easter weekend.
“Back in the ’60s you had guys like Neil Fraser and the like who would come and play at Shepparton ― those were some big names.”
The action kicks off on Friday and runs across the long weekend, with finals to be staged on Monday.
Hundreds of entrants will vie for a slice of the $10,000 prize pool, and Fitzgerald said he expected some top-notch tennis to play out at Shepparton Lawn.
“To hear they have capacity fields and over 500 competitors is just fantastic,” he said.
“I came up to Shepparton for the recent pro tournament they held because my son was playing and I could not believe how fantastic the courts looked, especially after the flood damage in October.
“It’s just an awesome achievement (to get the courts back to a high standard) and it’s a credit to everyone down there at Shepparton Lawn Tennis Club.”
With nine grand slam doubles titles beneath his belt, Fitzgerald sure knows a player when he sees one.
A notable name to grace the Easter Tournament in Shepparton eight years ago was Alex De Minaur ― and Fitzgerald reckons the next Aussie tennis star could very well emerge at this year’s edition.
“Perhaps there might even be the next Alex De Minaur competing this weekend, how cool would that be?”