The Royal Melbourne Tennis Club
134 Years
15 March 2017 Weekly News
Head Professional: Frank Filippelli (pros@rmtc.com.au)
Editor: John Woods-Casey


MARCH
  • 22                Prospective members’ Introduction Night                         Pros
  • 25                70+ Handicap Singles Tournament                                   Pros
  • 26-1Apr       Bathurst Cup (France)

APRIL

  • 1                  Young Members (u35) Tournament                                 Youth Cttee
  • 4&6              Junior Clinic (u16)                                                            Pros
  • 7                  First Friday of the Month Drinks, from 6pm

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SOCIAL

Lunches are on!
What’s for lunch today? Is it that stale sandwich at the back of the fridge, maybe a few morsels left from last night’s meal or the roll that you always end up with from that same cafe on the ground floor. Why not drop into the club instead and have something fresh from the pan of our splendiferous chef Evie. The regulars are always ready to go, steak and salmon cooked to perfection, or try something new that may have just been created. Come in and visit us, maybe book a game of tennis before or after, and bring your friends/colleagues/enemies/anyone who you can entice with food.
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UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

Prospective members’ Introduction Night – Wed 22 Mar
The club needs good new members and we ask for your help to raise awareness of the game with your friends and colleagues. Take this opportunity to bring a friend to the club and let us introduce him/her to our great game.

70+ Handicap Singles Tournament – Sat 25 Mar
Please note: This tournament is a singles tournament not doubles, apologies for the error on last week’s newsletter
A new tournament has appeared on the calendar! If your handicap is over 70 you’re eligible for this tournament, it will be a good opportunity to get experience playing different players with different styles around your standard. Come into the club and sign up on the board or give us a ring in the pro shop to book your place.

Young Members (u35) Tournament – Sat 1 Apr
The first official young members tournament is coming up, there will be tennis followed by drinks and food. Come into the club or contact the pro shop to get involved.
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TOURNAMENT REPORTS

Percy Finch Trophy and Australian Amateur Doubles Championship

The RMTC won the Percy Finch Trophy against the Hobart Real Tennis Club by 7 matches to 2 over the Labour Day week-end.

Pete Boyles, at #1 singles for Hobart, demonstrated his current strong form when he scored a dominant win over Daniel Williams, which will set him up nicely for the imminent Bathurst Cup tournament in Paris, where he will represent Australia. An excited and excitable John Herbert gained a fine upset win against Jonathan Hamer at #6 singles. Otherwise Melbourne’s greater strength and depth was sufficient to win the remaining matches.

The Australian Amateur Doubles was played concurrently. Daniel Williams, doubles specialist, and his brother Michael combined well to readily defeat Boyles & Al Ramsay in straight sets, demonstrating a mature understanding of doubles strategy. The losers had reached the final after a hard-fought 5 set win over a rejuvenated (and svelte) Chris Sievers & (also Bathurst Cup bound) Paul Rosedale. I enjoyed watching Paul’s much improved form, especially in the main wall corner.

The pros that remain all marked well and with occasionally genuine enthusiasm, Liza’s Larder provided most excellent lunches on all three days, some of which were signed for, and 20 of us enjoyed dinner at Piano in Bridge Road on the Sunday night.

So, all in all it went quite well considering the light turn-out (PF2 had to be abandoned for reasons that don’t need to be explored in this publication). Even the elusive tennis sub-committee chairman made a cameo appearance towards the end of proceedings.

We can do it all again next year in Tasmania, yaay
       
Julian Snow