Townsville tennis players are red hot

Townsville tennis contingents have one distinct advantage – the heat. Photo: Pat McLeod

Thursday 10 November 2016

By Pat McLeod

The Townsville tennis contingent at the Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games have team names that are as eye-catching as their serve-volley game.

“We have the Casual Sets, the Ace Holes, the Sweet Spots and of course Lookin’ For Luck,” explains team spokesman Paul Blake.

However if you thought this 15-strong squad were just about hit and giggle, think again.

By the start of play yesterday at the Gold Coast Seniors Club, Mermaid Waters, the Townsville players had already amassed 21 gold medals, nine silver and two bronze at this year’s masters games.

“We are here for the friendship and fun, but that doesn’t mean we’re not trying to win medals,” says Paul.

“In fact we did do some practice on the couple of synthetic courts in Townsville, which are the same surface we play on at the masters. Most of us only play on hardcourt surfaces back home.”

The north Queensland contingent do have one distinct advantage – the heat.

“As soon as it started to warm up this week we were laughing ,” said another of the Townsville players, Paula Simpson.

“The hotter the better. We could see a few of the southern players start to struggle when the temperature started to rise, and of course we were saying: ‘Hot! This isn’t hot’.”

The majority of the Townsville players are from the historic Tennis Townsville Club, which has just been named Queensland’s Tennis Club of the Year.

“Yep, we’re proud of the club and are rapt to be here at the masters,” said Paul.

“I think our club members started to come in about 2012, but each games there are more of us.

“Players go back home and tell what a great time they have had. There’s also some very good tennis.”

Masters games tennis convenor, Margaret Davidson. Photo: Pat McLeod

Masters games tennis convenor, Margaret Davidson, who has been involved in the masters since it started in 1998, said the 210-strong nomination list was one of the best in the history of tennis at this event.

“We have players from all over Australia and also a couple from Ukraine and Japan as well as locals from our own club,” she said.

“Interestingly, the women out-number the men this year, which is not usually the case.”

The tennis competition continues through until Friday, 11 November.

The 10^th biennial Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games is being held 5 – 13 November 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

The event showcases competition in 43 sports and is hosting 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas.