Royal sport a hit for 40 years

MEMBERS of Ballarat Tennis Club marked the group’s fortieth anniversary with an on-court dinner last month.

The royal tennis club was established on Larter Street, Canadian in the mid-1980s.

“The unusual game of ‘real tennis’… has a very long heritage, dating back to the middle-ages in Europe,” president Pat Sunter said. “Ballarat’s court being built in 1984 was part of a modern renaissance of the game.”

He said new and long-time members were able to catch up at the 40th birthday dinner, and celebrate all they had achieved with a racquet in hand over the years.

“Over a three-course meal, guests were entertained with speeches from several leading players and former leaders of the club both on and off the court,” Sunter said.

“This included the opening of a new tennis library dedicated to former club captain Quinton Wilkinson by his son, an address from one of the founding members Michael Wooldridge, and reflections by former club president Rob Jolly on how club members and supporters banded together to support the club through the difficult years of COVID lockdowns.

“Both the outgoing club president Cath Faull and member Penny Corser-Hatten shared their enthusiasm for the strong women’s real tennis program they have been instrumental in developing in recent years.

“To celebrate inter-club links, keen player and local landscape architect David Hay presented the club’s incoming president with a cutting from a grapevine growing at the Hobart Tennis Club, from a tree originally gifted to them by former world champion Pierre Etchebaster.”

Local over-80s World Masters player, and historian, Phil Roberts officially released the Ballarat Tennis Club 40th anniversary book, which he wrote.

“This included noting a recent highlight being Ballarat entering four teams in the global real tennis amateur Boomerang Cup competition held in Melbourne this past January,” Sunter said.

Real tennis has had another surge in popularity internationally.

“There have recently been new courts built in the United States, the UK and France, and one under construction in Sydney,” Sunter said.

Ballarat Tennis Club offers coaching for new players. Contact [email protected] or 5333 5755.