Game set and match on resurfaced courts

OVER 800 people play tennis at Ballarat Regional Tennis Centre each week.

They now know what local tennis pro Zoe Hives felt under foot, winning her debut match in the Australian Open on Monday, as all 12 courts have recently been refurbished with a blue acrylic two-coat surface – the same as the Melbourne Park courts.

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Samantha McIntosh took to the courts this week with BRT’s tennis programs manager Tomas Graca partnering with Oliver Hart aged 6 and 7-yearold Harvey Wilson to test out the new surface.

Cr McIntosh said the new plexicushion prestige coating was a vast improvement for players as the courts were last resurfaced 12 years ago.

“It is a great way for the kids taking part in the tennis clinics to really get involved in sport and get to know tennis on a professional surface.”

Council contributed $88,000 to a total cost of $108,000 with the balance of $20,000 raised by the club itself.

Updating the courts was completed in mid-December in preparation for the Ballarat Open tennis tournament, a lead-in points ranking event to the Australian Tennis Open.