Ash Barty wannabes chasing dreams on court hacked out of the jungle

Tucked away in the tropics in the far north of Queensland are some of the world’s toughest tennis players.

Fourteen-year-old Giselle Kawane, who has caught the eye of Evonne Goolagong, gets her tennis fix at a court near Cairns, where she has to keep an eye out for brown snakes and taipans. Picture: Brian Cassey

Tucked away in the tropics in the far north of Queensland are some of the world’s toughest tennis players.

From tiny tots to teenagers, they have been trudging through the jungle to a hidden court near Cairns for their weekly tennis fix during the COVID-19 shutdown.

The potentially deadly virus is not the only challenge for youngsters such as 14-year-old Giselle Kawane, whose talent has captured the eye of Evonne Goolagong.

As veteran coach Guy Thomas said, these hardy souls are constantly on the lookout for an ever-present threat when walking to their lessons.

“There are brown snakes and taipans and you are always looking up into the trees to make sure there are not any pythons lying in wait, because I am sure there are a couple around here,” Thomas told The Australian.

If that wildlife is not enough to rattle the nerves and cause a double-fault or two, the court also lies not too far from a creek, from where crocodiles have been known to stray.

But the kids from the suburbs south of Cairns are loving their walks in the wilderness.

The sport is seeing a surge in interest after world No 1 Ash Barty was a surprise guest along with Goolagong for a clinic at Thomas’s club last October. “They all want to be like Ash,” Thomas said.

The court Guy Thomas has brought back to life for coaching in the jungle near Cairns. Picture: Brian Cassey

Some hoops have been jumped through in order for the coach to continue providing private lessons, not least sourcing a court.

As with most sports, tennis has largely been shut down around the country. There are varying restrictions and the board of Tennis Queensland has recommended that it should be avoided.

Thomas and other coaches are mindful of the guidelines and have strict protocols in place for private lessons during the health crisis.

Youngsters must wash their hands when entering and leaving the courts and wear plastic gloves, which are replaceable, when practising their serve.

Pick-up poles used to collect balls are washed and sanitised after lessons and there are signs on each fence urging caution, while parents wait outside the jungle court while their children learn.

With his local club in Edmonton closed down, the bush telegraph led to Thomas investigating the jungle court, which last saw some use 28 years ago, but it required an almighty makeover.

The first step was chasing a squatter away. It then took Thomas the best part of a week to hack away grass that stood at almost 2m tall.

He needed a mattock to rip up the roots and vines from the jungle that had grown into the court. And cleaning the mould off the court surface added a few blisters to the calluses on his racquet hand.

Smashing practice has been dropped from one end of the court, because Thomas could not reach high enough to trim the branches hanging from one tree, which has also ruled out lobbing.

It was, the Queenslander said, “sweaty, hard work”. But to see the young stars back on court has been worth it.

“It’s my recovery package. The kids, the parents and I love it,” he said. “We charge them bugger all and I’m only doing it to make ends meet, but they are loving the sport.

“We can operate one-on-one coaching all day long, because the court is so shady, but it is still hot because we are in the bloody jungle.”