Young star dominates Easter champs
Bridgetown's Easter tennis tournament attracted top players this year as well as many regulars keen for a social game.
WA talent development coach Brad Dyer travelled to Bridgetown with top junior Monique Barry, 11, who is ranked second nationally in her age group.
Barry won the women’s singles championship and teamed with her coach to win the division 1 mixed doubles.
“We decided to come here for a bit of fun after playing in the ranking tournaments, ” Dyer said.
Another high-ranked player was the new men’s singles champion, Troy Hargreaves, who defeated Australind teen Sam Galati 7-5 6-2.
Galati also won the 18-and-under boys title and his progress through to the men’s final was “exciting for the South West”, organiser Chris Shedley said.
The 2014 tournament had about 285 entries, down from 300 or more in recent years, including many regulars and former champions.
“We get lots of former singles champions coming down to play social doubles as well which is a great reflection on the tournament, ” Shedley said.
Peppermint Grove’s Henry Willis, playing at his fifth Easter tournament, said he kept coming back to Bridgetown because of the great atmosphere and organisation.
Lia Allen, part of the 35-strong Perth Scrubbers, said many in her group did not play regularly apart from at Easter, and praised the home-cooked food and atmosphere.
Will Haslam, 20, who teamed with Bridgetown’s Matt Wheatley to play doubles, said he had been coming to the Easter tournament all his life.
“My grandparents started coming here when they played State tennis years ago, ” he said.
As well as fostering young talent the tournament catered for older players, among them Bunbury’s John Cartledge, who is still active in the sport at 79, Shedley said.
The club hosted the John Cartledge Junior Classic, a regional tournament named in honour of the well-known coach, for the first time this year.
Former singles champion Bojana Bobusic is making a documentary about the tournament for Tennis West.
