Queensland’s top tennis stars have come to the Border to win at the Margaret Court Cup, but there is no shortage of fun along the way.
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To keep the players engaged throughout the grueling 10-day schedule, which includes the Victorian Junior Grass Court Championships starting at Wodonga on Wednesday, the coaches and organisers try to focus on the lighter side at the end of each day’s play.
The Queensland team, made up of 16 juniors from the Gold Coast all the way to Cairns, bond through a series of games and quizzes when not toughing it out on the court.
Southern tour manager and Gold Coast-based tennis coach Ryan Kebblewhite said the squad gathers each night for an awards session and discusses the highlights of the day.
Players are in the running for the “patriot” award, which is given to the best supporter or competitor of the day, while the “dope” award is one to be avoided, with the unlucky winner to wear a funny pink hat for the next day if they were spotted having a moment to forget on or off the court.
The “golden nugget” is awarded to the player who wins the most games on the day, the biggest joker of the team claims the “clown” award, while a team member who attempts to do something sneaky will find themselves in the running for the “snake” award.
Furthermore, an inflatable pool tube is handed out each day as the “donut” award for a player that loses a set 6-0.
“It makes it a bit of fun outside of the serious stuff when they’re on the court,” Kebblewhite said.
“We split the big group into four teams and they compete over the space of the 10 days for a prize at the end of the trip.
“They normally hand their phones in at 9pm and get them back in the morning, but we had a phone-free day and it was one of the best days because the support was great on court.”
Kebblewhite, who has 12 years of coaching experience, has rated this particular group as one of the state’s strongest from top to bottom, which was proven with an impressive display in the team’s event at the start of the tournament.
“The A team finished third, which was a good result considering it was their first time on grass, while the B team won it for the second year in a row,” Kebblewhite said.
His brother, Blake, played for two years at college in St Louis after previously touring with Queensland to the Border, where he was a member of the winning side in the teams event in 2013.
At the end of their Border stint, the Queensland team heads to Melbourne for a feast of sport with three days at the Australian Open, as well attending the Australia and Pakistan One Day International and a Big Bash game at the MCG.