ICNZ Newsletter
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February 2019 President Cecilie McIntyre [email protected] Page 1 AGM Date Page 2-3 Morning and Afternoon teas & photos. Hon Treasurer Paul Thomson [email protected] Page 4-6 Both ASB Classic thoughts Hon Sec. Angela Hart [email protected] Page 6 Inaugural ATP Cup Australia 2020 Page 6-7 IC Philanthropy Vice President Russell Tills [email protected] Page 8 Message from Neil Carter Page 9 Australian Open Snippets Link to IC Council website www.ictennis.net Page 10 Blast from the Past & Drop Shots CHANGE OF DATE FOR MAY AGM & DINNER Now 19th May After we were sure we had the date settled months ago for the next ICNZ AGM we are embarrassed to find that with a change of manager at Carlton Cornwall Bowling Club that date of Sunday May 5th is not now available. Those of you who have been to recent Dinners there know that it is an extremely suitable venue with 2 sections so we can set up the dinner tables at one end and use the other for the mix and mingle and the AGM and then move back for the dinner and speakers between courses. It is also centrally located near motorway access. We have unsuccessfully tried a couple of other nearby venues on that date, but have now made the decision to delay it for 2 weeks. ( Sunday the 12th is Mothers Day and not suitable for us) so so we will now have our AGM and Dinner on Sunday 19 th May from 5.30 pm. This will be at the Carlton Cornwall Bowling Club in Epsom . All members have been emailed about this change but please note the date. All those who are financial members are invited, with a companion if desired. Once again we are indebted to our generous, anonymous donor who has offered to cover the dinner expenses at the 2019 AGM. (More details and a request for names of those attending will be sent in early April so we have the correct numbers for the catering.) International Tournaments Get Togethers These were as successful as ever with over 60 members and guests coming to the afternoon tea on 31st December and even more to the morning tea at the start of the Men’s week. We have continued to use the ‘Cluster’ system to share the numerous photos taken at both. This is a private way to share photos but is not limited just to IC Members, there are others who have been invited to join. Many of you have viewed the photos, but if you would like to join in Tennis Auckland CEO Marcus Reynolds. click here. Tennis Auckland President and our ICNZ https://cluster.co/i/XVX3DXDD Hon Secretary Angela Hart with her husband Clive. Instructions are easy to follow. (Continued on P 2 ) 1 If you need a password we suggested ICTennis18 last year. This will still be current or you can use your own password. Here are a few of the photos, but they are larger on Cluster and any can easily be saved from there. Several of the recently invited members were able to receive their badges and ties, but at this time of the year many were away for the Christmas / New Year summer holidays. Paul White and Sam Dean. Greg Long, Angela Hart, new Hon Member Feleti Sofele, our UK Liaison Officer Mark Hadley, new Member and Fed Cup Captain Neil Carter, Cecilie McIntyre, Lynette Duncan, and new Member US based Simon Robinson. Simon Robinson recalling his tennis days in NZ. New Members Valentina Ivanov, Erin President Cecilie and new Member Routliffe and Neil Carter. See more on P 7 Lesley Ferkins. Old friends…..Tennis Auckland Life Member John Barry, Kevin Long, behind ...John Mills & Malcolm, Russell Tills Simon Robinson, Lynette Duncan and Malcolm Elley. Des Shaw and Mark Hadley. 2 Brian Woolf & Chris Ronayne Peter Stokes & John Lawrence Mark & Cecilie with our new pole flag. Jill Bignell who organises our functions and Pam Sowter our former IC Hon Secretary. Jill Fraser, who has been a member for years but can’t usually come as she is playing top bowls. Des and Jeannette with old Eden Epsom friend Marty This year the dates didn't clash! Ellis. With Karen and Kevin Woolcott. 3 A report from Paul White International Match Convenor. IC Week Le Touquet France The 90th Anniversary of the IC France is confirmed for the 8th to 12th September in Le Touquet France. Our Club has registered for the mens and womens events with very positive feedback from IC France. Several of our top national players have confirmed their interest to participate in the prestigious Wind- mill Trophy (mens) and Mercelis Trophy (women). Thanks again to all those Club members who registered their interest. The last 2 newsletters have mentioned this very important event with a map and playing ages etc. Gold Coast We are also anticipating sending a team to an IC Australia event on the Gold Coast in September/October. When the date is confirmed we will seek registration of interest for this event which may be more accessible for many of our members. The Australian IC have indicated they will welcome any of our members who wish to support the team and join in but not play tennis. Looking back on the two January International Tournaments, the ASB Classics. The ASB Classic has its niche, and as demonstrated by Jan-Lennard Struff and Pablo Carreno Busta, can produce unbelievable contests when least expected. Carreno Busta saved nine break points in the first set alone, including four consecutive set points in one service game, which stretched for 11 minutes. During both weeks Michael Burgess wrote some perceptive articles which members not within the NZ Herald circulation area will find interesting. I have received his permission to quote from them, with acknowledgement to the NZ Herald. “Whatever Rubin Statham achieves in the rest of his tennis career, he'll always be able to look back on yesterday with immense pride. That was the moment when he produced his best possible tennis, on the biggest local stage, at the ideal time. His 7-5, 6-3 win over world No 25 Hyeon Chung was a stunner, the kind of result that just doesn't happen. From a local perspective, it was surely the biggest singles result here since Marina Erakovic, then ranked world No 153, beat second seed and world No 23 Vera Zvonareva in the semi-finals of the 2008 WTA event. It's also the kind of positive jolt that the sport in this country needs, after the annual dose of hand wringing about the state of the game that accompanies the Auckland tennis fortnight. While there is a lot of angst about the future, Statham, along with the impressive doubles exploits of Michael Venus, Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak, have kept New Zealand tennis relevant across the globe.” Drama and skill: We just don’t know how lucky we are: Michael Burgess “One of the best sporting contests seen on these shores played out at the ASB Classic this week. A match of supreme intensity, unbelievable drama and superb skill. And it featured a relatively unknown German, who never had gone beyond the quarter-final of an ATP event, against a low profile but highly-talented Spaniard.” 4 “The marathon quarter-final between world No 58 Jan-Lennard Struff and third seed Pablo Carreno Busta will live long in the memory of those in the capacity crowd who witnessed it, along with everyone watching on television. It was a thriller, eventually won by Struff 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7) and a reminder of the ongoing quality of this event. Especially after all the hand wringing earlier this week following the absence of some of the bigger names, including Tomas Berdych, Roberto Bautista Agut and Gael Monfils. Those who were questioning the withdrawals don’t understand the realities of professional tennis. And those who were debating the strength of the field don’t know how good we have it. Firstly, although Berdych and Monfils in particular were losses, it’s part of the sport and happens every year, especially if players have a strong tournament the week before. And other storylines always emerge. Cameron Norrie has been a focal point. In terms of the quality of the field — in the immortal words of Fred Dagg — “We don’t know how lucky we are”. The men’s ASB Classic had 15 of the top 60 players in the world in the main draw, plus a qualifying field featuring several others in the top100. Look at golf, the other major global individual sport. The organisers of New Zealand’s major golf tournaments would be doing cartwheels if they even got a few names in the top-100 to come here. It just doesn’t happen. And players in the top-20? No chance. Golf would kill for their equivalent of Struff (world No 58), Tennys Sandgren (No 61) or Taylor Fritz (50). But it’s not possible because, unlike in tennis with the Australian Open, there is no major to lure them to this part of the world. The ASB Classic has its niche, and as demonstrated by Struff and Carreno Busta, can produce unbelievable contest when least expected. Carreno Busta saved nine break points in the first set alone, including four consecutive set points in one service game, which stretched for 11 minutes. After the players had split consecutive tiebreakers, the final set was a beauty. Carreno Busta twice broke the towering Struff — who was serving bombs in excess of 215km/h — but couldn’t hold.