Tennis back in swing of things

Community tennis given the greenlight

Jonathan Kim lines up a shot during last year’s Easter Gold Cup.

TENNIS : Play will return to the Toowoomba Tennis Association’s James St courts from Monday.

A decision was made on Wednesday night to open the courts in line with advice from Tennis Queensland (TQ) and strict social-distancing guidelines in place.

“We made the decision to allow play at a committee meeting on Wednesday after receiving advice from Tennis Queensland,” TTA president Allen Smythe said.

“Play is allowed from May 1 but we are holding off until Monday (May 4).

“We are going to use the weekend to prepare the facilities and the courts by giving everything a good clean.

“We want play to return but the health and safety of players and the community is more important.

“With that in mind we will be following the strict guidelines set out by Tennis Queensland and State Government in regards to cleaning standards and social distancing.”

In a statement released earlier this week TQ encouraged associations to assess their ability to safely allow community play.

“In line with the latest health advice from the Queensland government, the board recommends that all clubs now review their capability to provide a safe environment that follows Tennis Australia’s Guidelines for Community Play stringently,” the statement read.

“Once a club has reviewed its capability and is confident it can provide a safe environment, the Tennis Queensland Board of Directors supports the reopening of a club’s tennis courts.

“To help clubs prepare, Tennis Queensland has created a club self-assessment checklist for reopening that will ensure everything is in place ahead of courts opening and to minimise the risk of spread at a venue.

“The Tennis Queensland Board will continue to meet weekly to review our position and make further recommendations if required.”

For TTA play will consist of one-on-one coaching sessions and singles play.

“Unfortunately we cannot welcome back our social groups at this stage, but we can allow one-on-one coaching and singles play,” Smythe said.

“It’s a positive step in the right direction.

“Being able to play a game of tennis and get some sunshine will make a great of deal of difference to the mental and physical wellbeing of people.

“We will be reducing our operating hours to ensure the safety of players, so we’re asking players to book in advance.”

To book a court or for further information call 4639 1874 or email inquiries@
toowoombatennis.com.au

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