Time is counting down to the start of competition tennis, with Thursday triples kicking off on November 4, Saturday junior and senior pennants on November 6, and midweek getting three matches in starting on November 9.
All the clubs are preparing themselves for the new start, none more so than All Saints Anglican, with its courts being newly resurfaced.
With the help of donations towards its building fund and a grant from the City of Greater Geelong, the club has replaced its deteriorating hard courts with synthetic grass.
The two senior and seven junior teams will be fighting for who gets to play on them first.
Nathan Mayes is doing a great job retaining his charges as coach, with last year’s Orange Ball team moving into the Green Ball ranks and the addition of another team from last summer’s numbers.
Nathan’s work at Teesdale also see the previous Orange Ball players move into Green Ball competition and last year’s Section 7 girls returning for another season.
In the senior ranks, last summer’s Section 5 mixed premiers are returning to take a crack at Section 4, so time will tell how the stronger competition will treat them.
Other clubs in the north and west will also be preparing for a new season, and have done well transitioning some of their juniors into senior ranks.
Hamlyn Park has also recently upgraded its court surface, and will be keen to give it a proper workout.
With a junior girls team, and five senior teams, including a team of recent juniors making the transition to seniors, Hamlyn Park will be keen to develop a new home court advantage.
Fyans Park has a men’s team returning to compete in Section 5, and the fourth-placed Section 8 mixed team from last season coming back to try and improve its position this year.
Sutherlands Creek also has its Section 8 mixed team back again.
It will be hoping to make inroads on its third place last summer.
Lethbridge has managed to gain another team this season, to now field three mixed teams, with the addition of some older juniors to its senior ranks.
Western Heights Uniting continues to present well in competition with four junior and two senior teams, with the girls from girls Section 4 Blue backing up in the afternoon in seniors Section 9 mixed.
Lara continues to develop its juniors with club coach Jake Dunn, with five teams entered and a number of new players.
In seniors, along with the two mixed teams from last season, Jake is returning to competition with two current and one former junior – Jak and Samuel Caddy, and Juanito Ramos, for their first full season of seniors men’s tennis in Section 4.
Centre Court has been affected by COVID lockdowns more than any club in Geelong, and it is great to see it open and active again.
As usual, it has a strong junior presence with 11 teams entered.
It is a credit to the team at the indoor facility to be able to keep the juniors while not being able to operate for large portions of the year.
Centre Court’s premiers from Section 7 mixed in last year’s senior competition will also be back this summer, but will compete in Section 4, after a strong showing in winter’s Section 3.
The competition will be tougher for the indoor team, but as it seems to be going from strength to strength, it should give its opponents a run for their money.
