The lakeside-based hardcourt club has announced a new annual tournament on the Benalla tennis calendar.
Club president Michael Levy said local tennis clubs needed to aim to increase participation rates.
“Specifically promoting more junior and senior female involvement with increased opportunities into the future,” Levy said.
“We saw enough interest to add a new annual tournament to our calendar.
“A new intermediate to top-level singles comp for women specifically.
“Women’s singles matches had become almost non-existent.
“But there is interest.”
Benalla Gardens Tennis Club is inviting any local female tennis players with a passion to compete or the ambition to be crowned the number one local female player for 2024.
The inaugural Women’s Singles Championship is open to any Benalla and district-based female tennis player over 15 years of age.
Matches are set to begin at the end of March to the beginning of April and will culminate with semi-finals and finals later in the month.
The championship-style, best of three sets, round-robin pool matches are to be played at the gardens tennis club at 1pm each Saturday.
Members of the public are welcome to come and watch.
Any local female players with intermediate to high-level ability are welcome to enter.
Players may be Benalla Lawn members, Benalla Gardens members, or even those who hold no current memberships can still compete.
Participants will play one three-set rubber against a competitor from their pool each weekend.
Each player will play every other member of their pool once during the first three to four weeks of matches.
The results from these pool matches will qualify the strongest players into best of three set knock-out semi-finals, culminating in the ultimate championship match for two competitors.
Levy said the aim of the competition was to have as few obstacles to participation as possible so the draw would have built-in flexibility.
“The tournament will allow players to arrange with their drawn opponent to move a match day or time if they are unable to play every or each Saturday,” he said.
“Entries or expressions of entry close Saturday, March 30.
“Entry fees will be finalised and determined depending upon entry numbers, but it is likely to be around $40 per player.
“These fees cover new balls for every match, court costs, honour board costs and prizes. Each player will be guaranteed at least three to four matches.”
The Women’s Singles Championships will run alongside the annual Men’s Open Championship and the return of the Under-19 Boys’ Singles Championship, which hadn’t been played since COVID-19 halted participation.
Both the men’s and boys’ matches will be scheduled for the day after the women’s matches.
The gardens club also wants to add an Under-19 Girls’ Championship in the future, but at this stage, it would require increased interest and numbers before it could be introduced.
“It will be an action-packed time for tennis in the more mild temperatures,” Levy said.
“Tennis at the gardens tennis club will continue through autumn and even winter, with the club also hoping to get enough numbers interested to run a Section 1 social and a Section 2 social competition under the lights each Monday and or Tuesday evening.
“If you have any interest, autumn and winter are still great times to stay active and get out of the house.”
Any local tennis enthusiast interested in participating or receiving information for any of the women’s, men’s, boys’ under-19, or the Winter Night Social Tennis competitions can follow/message Benalla Gardens Tennis Club on Facebook, contact club president Michael Levy on 0433 520 809 or email nesw.mlevy@yahoo.com.au
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