ROYAL SOUTH YARRA LAWN TENNIS CLUB NEWSLETTER CENTRECOURT Winners of the Ladies and Men’s Open Singles Championships AutumnAutumn 2013 2011 President’s hosted the Super Rounds. I would also Australian Tennis Hall like to wish all our Pennant teams good Report luck for the current season and invite of Fame new inductee members to check when our teams are Judy Dalton playing at home and make an effort to During the major tournament, the Welcome to our autumn edition of come and support them. You will see Australian Open, our Honorary Life Centrecourt. The first three months of some outstanding tennis. Member Judy Dalton was inducted 2013 seem to have passed in a flash I would also like to congratulate all into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. and there has been a great deal of players who participated in the Club This is a wonderful acknowledgement activity at the Club both on and off Championships this year. Combining of Judy’s ongoing commitment to the courts. the Senior and Junior Championships women’s tennis and we felt it was Although we would all love some much was a huge success with a record appropriate to celebrate this honour needed rain to help our ailing gardens, it number of entries – a hundred and with a special members’ dinner which has meant we have been able to enjoy sixty-five seniors and ninety-five was held on Wednesday 20 March. a lovely, long warm summer with plenty juniors. Special congratulations to A hundred and fifty members and their of time to have a game of tennis on our Rob Tucker and Tayla Stenta our guests were treated to an entertaining wonderfully maintained grass courts, as Open Champions. Rob won his fifth title evening with another of our Honorary well as view some outstanding tennis and Tayla won her third title. Life Members, Cedric Mason, acting during January. The Hopman Cup, the As is usual on the final day of the Club as MC for the dinner. Kooyong Classic and the Australian Championships, we held our Vintage Open are the stand-out events for me Lunch and this year we welcomed and I was fortunate enough to meet eighty-five of our senior members to and spend some considerable time a delicious lunch prepared by our with Mr Peter Bretherton, the President talented kitchen brigade. It really is of the Lawn Tennis Association, UK and a very special time for members his wife Anne, who were in Australia to (who perhaps do not have the attend our various tournaments. Both opportunity to visit the Club on a Peter and Anne have been top players more regular basis) to get together in their time and it was interesting to and catch up on the previous year’s learn about how tennis is run in the UK. news. Our most senior member who Your Committee is committed to attended was Mrs Marion Page who implementing the 5 Year Strategic Plan looks exceptionally young, considering Cedric Mason, Judy Dalton & Paul McNamee which was developed in 2012. It is she joined the Club when she was Paul McNamee interviewed Judy steadily working through the various sixteen and is now our longest standing in a relaxed format about her Strategic Sets that deal with all areas member with a membership of career and her involvement, firstly of our Club’s activities. The strategy seventy-nine years! as Patron of the Fed Cup Foundation document forms the basis for the In conclusion, I look forward to and through the Foundation, her General Committee agendas each seeing as many of you as possible commitment to women’s tennis. month and is being enthusiastically at the Club over the coming months It was a very happy evening and embraced. and encourage you to read the once again showed the true family I would like to congratulate our President’s Pen email which comes nature of the Club. Judy would be very Men’s and Ladies’ teams on their out every six weeks. This should keep pleased if any member passing her acceptance into the Premier League you up-to-date with what is currently statue at Melbourne Park would check competition and hope that many happening at the Club. to make sure it is in pristine condition members have had an opportunity to Susie Strangward and perhaps give it a bit of a clean if observe some excellent tennis at the anything untoward is noticed! Club over the two evenings that we Contents Page 3 Page 12 Front Cover Reciprocal Clubs Billiards & Snooker Club Tayla Stenta and Rob Tucker, winners of the The Grass Courts Championships Ladies and Men’s Open Singles Championships Page 4 Pages 13 Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club 310 Williams Road North Captain’s Report Younger Members Toorak Vic 3142 Australia Page 6-10 Page 14 Telephone: 03 9829 1556 Club Championships Seniors Group Facsimile: 03 9829 1560 Page 11 Email: [email protected] Juniors Report Website: www.rsyltc.org.au 2 New Reciprocal Clubs Club Matters Toronto, Ontario, Canada – The Toronto Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Royal Australia Day Honours Lawn Tennis Club expanded its facilities Lake Club was founded in 1890 and to include squash and became a year- is centrally located in Kuala Lumpur We congratulate Mr Graeme round racquet club. Today, it includes amidst the luscious and green Lake David Fair AM who received an a Pro Shop, four indoor clay tennis Gardens. Its central location makes award in the Australia Day 2013 courts (bringing the total number of it a most convenient place to meet, Honours for significant service to the courts to 18), a doubles squash court, with dining and recreation facilities sport of tennis through a range of new fitness facilities, massage room, available. It offers a restaurant, bar, administrative and leadership roles, wellness services and underground garden café, poolside terrace and and to the community. parking. There is also an area in the banquet facilities. Seven tennis courts Club dedicated to childrens’ daycare (four artificial courts and three hard and junior lounge. These facilities courts), a swimming pool, squash Golden Achievement enhance the already existing tennis courts and fitness centre. Award courts, three international squash No accommodation is offered. courts, outdoor pool, and fine indoor www.royallakeclub.org.my Geoff Pollard, Vice President of the and outdoor dining, licensed bar, International Tennis Federation and café and banquet facilities. Past-President and chairman of Tennis No accommodation is offered. Australia, has been presented with www.torontolawn.com the 2013 Golden Achievement Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum and the ITF. The Grass Courts The award is given annually to an individual who has made important What a season of grass court tennis Bill’s plan was to present the courts contributions internationally to we are all enjoying! in the best possible condition for the tennis in the fields of administration, Club Championships which for the The condition of the courts has been promotion, or education, and who first time included both the junior a result of a well thought out and has devoted long and outstanding and senior events being played managed renovation plan by our service to the sport. curator Bill Turner. simultaneously, therefore inviting a lot of extra wear and tear! This has resulted in arguably the best grass court playing surfaces that the When the courts were opened Obituaries Club has ever enjoyed, especially early November they were cut higher Our sincere sympathy is extended during the most critical period of the than normal at 6.5mm to try and to the families of our esteemed Club Championships held in the first protect the surface, especially the members: two weekends of February. baselines. Previous years the courts normally open cut at 4mm so that the In May last year, Bill and his team transition from en-tous-cas to grass is Mrs Sarah Jane Bennison embarked on a radical renovation not so noticeable. Special Non Playing Member – 1970 plan for the courts. Removing mature grass from under the net areas and In the last week of January all courts Mr Jeremy Bryan Mark Jowett relocating these sods into the service were reduced to 4mm and a week Playing Member – 2000 boxes of the court. The baselines were later 3.5mm. All courts are rolled three times per week with a heavy roller. Mr Ernest Gilbert Morrell re-sodded using a tougher couch Special Non Playing Member – 1968 grass called Grand Prix. The rest of the With so little rain since late last year and court is covered by Legend couch. such consistently hot and dry weather, Mrs Jeanette Ricketson This has resulted in virtually no wear on the courts have been magnificent! House Member – 1983 the baselines of all courts. Even as we We must thank Bill and his team for Mrs Jacqueline Anne Roche are in April, there are very few signs of implementing such a carefully planned Special Non Playing Member - 1986 wearing of any courts including courts and well managed process. 1 & 2 which we opened later due Members will continue to enjoy Mr Cecil Clarence Williams to a lot of spring rain and increased excellent grass court tennis until May Non Playing Member – 1979 shadowing from the extended this year. Clubhouse building. Mrs Elizabeth Ena Woods Playing Member – 1949 3 Captain’s • Congratulations to the Men’s Junior Tennis & Activity Day and Ladies open singles winners, The biggest event on the Junior Report Rob Tucker and Tayla Stenta. Calendar was held on Sunday 24 • Congratulations to the Boys and March for members and waiting Girls 18 & under junior winners, list children aged 8–14 years.