REX Hartwig held centre court at Albury Grasscourts yesterday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But it was as a speaker rather than a player as he addressed almost 400 youngsters and their coaches during the opening ceremony of the annual Margaret Court Cup.
The sport’s rising stars hung on his every word as the former great spoke about his playing days and the time he spent on the Border growing up.
“I have spent more time on this very court than any other,” Hartwig chuckled, standing in front of the pavilion.
“I have played, practised and even worked here.”
Born at Culcairn, Hartwig spent three years working as a greenkeeper before his indisputable talent saw him dragged away to bigger things around the globe.
He touched on some of his epic battles, which included him rise to as high as five in the world singles rankings, and rated playing Davis Cup as the pinnacle of a career that included US and Australian Open singles finals.
“To me Davis Cup was the highlight of everything; you were representing your country,” he said.
Hartwig, 85, played in winning Australian teams in 1953 and 1955 and finished with a 12-1 win-loss ratio in singles and doubles in Davis Cup.
He now lives at Greta and keeps a keen eye on the country’s rising stars, including former Albury player Sam Groth.
“I watched Sam play Lleyton Hewitt the other night and he’s improved out of sight,” he said.
“Twelve months ago he was pretty horrid.
“His serve is massive.
“He’s trained hard and worked on his game and is getting the results.”
Meanwhile, long-time Northern Territory coach Matt Roberts was honoured for his service to the Margaret Court Cup yesterday with the 10 years’ boys singles perpetual trophy being named in his honour.
He has been a huge supporter of the event since its inception in 2002.
“Matt has an unbelievable record in regards to helping young players reach national rankings,” cup director Phil Shanahan said.
“He brings between 25 to 40 players to our event each year.
“The interest he has generated for tennis in Alice Springs is incredible.”
Roberts said it was a huge thrill to have a trophy named after him.
“This is the best tournament in Australia,” he said.