There has been excitement aplenty for Bega Valley tennis players with star struck visits and tournament play.
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Merimbula junior Hollie Staight got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity recently to toss the coin during the ladies semi-final of the Australian Open featuring Serena Williams.
Club officials said it topped off a great week for Hollie, where she competed against the top 32 10-years-and-under players from around the country in the Super 10s event at Melbourne Park.
She competed in the team event for ACT and enjoyed the chance to play alongside some rising juniors, but also the chance encounters with some of the big names of the sport.
Officials said one afternoon Hollie found herself stretching alongside Rafael Nadal in the gym.
The five-day Super 10s event was held in the second week of the Open and Hollie and her team had lots of great experiences that only the professionals usually have.
“It is the third year in a row the Merimbula club has had a player qualify with Maka Ofati and Logan Staight making it in previous years,” coach James Poso said.
“This year’s trials have already started with Tom Miller, Luka Cowles and Paige Poso trying to make it for 2018.”
In other club news, five Merimbula-based players travelled to Yarrawonga to compete in the annual Country Week of Tennis last week.
Stefan Bertella, Dennis Love, John Gardiner, John Rheinberger and Murray Walsh played in the men’s second division of a six division competition.
The players said it was a massive competition with nine ladies divisions and around 200 teams involved totalling nearly 1000 players.
“Around 100 grass courts were prepared at the main tennis club and on surrounding ovals within Yarrawonga,” Rheinberger said.
Bertella was competing in his 20th Victorian Country Week and Rheinberger is up to his 15th.
Teams in the second division came from Albury, Melbourne, Bendigo, Tatura, Wangaratta and Dubbo as well as Merimbula.
“Competition was tough and Merimbula struggled for sets, but as usual we enjoyed our week of tennis and fellowship with other players,” Rheinberger said.
Merimbula contested well, but missed a spot in the semi-finals with Albury going on to win the final.