Tennis courts across the Tomaree Peninsula will be bustling with activity next week when the Dave Matthews Seniors Tournament is staged for the 18th year.
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Organiser Steve Taylor said he expects the four-day tournament will be as big as a success as last year, which attracted a record 230 competitors.
“We did exceptionally well last year,” Taylor from Nelson Bay Tennis Club said. “We received a lot of positive feedback and more sponsors have come on board this year, which has made a big difference.
“We’re expecting to get similar numbers as last year.”
The tournament was established by Nelson Bay Tennis Club member Dave Matthews about 18 years ago. It was named after Matthews when he died.
Since it was first established the event, which caters for tennis players aged 35 and above, has only grown in popularity.
In 2017, for the third year in a row, Sydney tennis player George Penny won the Dave Matthews trophy.
Penny paired with Mike Raymundo. Together the pair defeated Greg Scott and Pat Staunton, also from Sydney.
Most competitors that enter the tournament hail from NSW and ACT. About 20 players from the Nelson Bay club enter each year.
This year the field will include at least one Queensland woman and for the first time, an international competitor.
“A man from Switzerland got in touch saying he is coming to Australia for a tennis holiday and wants to come play in our tournament, which is exciting,” Taylor said.
More than 600 games of tennis will be played on the 18 courts available in Nelson Bay, Boat Harbour, Fingal Bay, Soldiers Point and Shoal Bay across the four-day tournament.
The tournament will begin with a charity day for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) on Thursday, November 29 at the Nelson Bay courts between 9am and 3pm.
“We’ve found that a lot of people who play in the tournament like to have a hit on the Wednesday and Thursday before,” Taylor said.
“We were thinking of ways to grow the tournament and thought ‘why not so something for charity?’.
“Members know a few people affected by MND. The choice was obvious for us.”
A majority of the $20 entry fee to play in Thursday’s games will go to supporting MND research. All members of the public wishing to play in Thursday’s charity day are welcome to sign up at Nelson Bay Tennis Club.
The competition will pick up at 7.30am on Friday, November 30.
At 5pm on Friday there will be a men’s double’s exhibition match at the Nelson Bay courts.
Nelson Bay Tennis Club president Rod Stubbs and coach Blake Denison, who played in last year’s exhibition match, will line up again this year. Their partners have not yet been decided.
Last year Stubbs partnered with Mike Raymundo and Denison with Port Mayor Ryan Palmer.
In front of a crowd of about 80 people who had gathered at Nelson Bay tennis courts to watch the match, Denison and Palmer defeated Raymundo and Stubbs 6-4, 6-4.
Competition will be played from 7.45am on Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2.