{"id":12231,"date":"2017-09-28T20:32:03","date_gmt":"2017-09-28T10:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/?p=12231"},"modified":"2017-09-28T20:34:16","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T10:34:16","slug":"canberra-to-host-national-claycourts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tennis.com.au\/act\/news\/2017\/09\/28\/canberra-to-host-national-claycourts","title":{"rendered":"Canberra to host National Claycourts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia\u2019s most promising junior athletes are set to battle it out for national titles at the\u00a02017 Australian Claycourt Championships<\/strong>\u00a0in Canberra from Friday 29 September to Wednesday 4 October.<\/p>\n

The national championships will see 128 of the top\u00a012\/u<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a014\/u<\/strong>\u00a0players compete for valuable Australian ranking points in their respective age groups.<\/p>\n

Launched by Tennis Australia to assist the development of high performance athletes, the National Junior Championships have been won by some of Australia\u2019s best tennis players, including\u00a0Nick Kyrgios\u00a0<\/strong>(ACT),\u00a0Thanasi Kokkinakis<\/strong>\u00a0(SA),\u00a0Casey Dellacqua<\/strong>\u00a0(WA),\u00a0Ashleigh Barty<\/strong>\u00a0(Qld),\u00a0Omar Jasika<\/strong>\u00a0(Vic),\u00a0Akira Santillan<\/strong>\u00a0(Qld) and rising stars\u00a0Destanee Aiava\u00a0<\/strong>(Vic),\u00a0Jaimee Fourlis<\/strong>\u00a0(Vic),\u00a0Alex De Minaur<\/strong>\u00a0(NSW) and\u00a0Alexei Popyrin<\/strong>\u00a0(NSW).<\/p>\n

ACT players, Ashleigh Simes\u00a0<\/strong>(14 Girls),\u00a0Charlie Snow\u00a0<\/strong>(14 Boys),\u00a0Sophie McDonald\u00a0<\/strong>(12 Girls), and\u00a0Connor Watts\u00a0<\/strong>(12 Boys) will be looking to capitilise on home court advantage as they line up against the best players in the country.<\/p>\n

Tennis Australia Performance Environments Manager\u00a0Chris Kachel<\/strong>\u00a0said training and playing tournaments on a clay court surface is essential for developing the skills and character of players.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Claycourt Championships are vital to the development of Australia\u2019s junior tennis players who are seeking to enhance their game and be competitive on the world stage,\u201d Chris Kachel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA number of successful tennis nations play predominantly on clay which gives them a great competitive advantage when they reach the professional level.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently 15 of the world\u2019s top 20 men and women come from clay court nations, highlighting the important of versatility.<\/p>\n

\u201cTennis Australia has a strong focus on improving our clay court facilities to allow for greater junior development and to give our junior players the opportunity to play on a slower court surface and improve point construction, mental toughness, endurance and concentration,\u201d Chris Kachel continued.<\/p>\n

Tournament Director\u00a0Francis Soyer<\/strong>\u00a0is excited about the increased access for juniors to clay courts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Claycourt Championships are a great way for junior players to benchmark themselves against their peers,\u201d Francis Soyer said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTennis Australia hosts three national events for these age groups, the National Grasscourt Championships, Claycourt Championships and Hardcourt Championships.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnsuring a mix of surfaces is vital to the players\u2019 development and helps prepare them for the international circuit,\u201d Francis Soyer continued.<\/p>\n

Tennis ACT CEO,\u00a0Kim Kachel<\/strong>\u00a0was proud to host the event in Canberra once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cTennis ACT is delighted to host the 12\/u and 14\/u Australian Claycourt Championships for the second year in a row on our world-class clay courts,\u201d Kim Kachel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a busy time for the Canberra Tennis Centre who will host the Australian Claycourt Championships as well as the Canberra Junior International and the Canberra Wheelchair Tennis International between 24 September and 4 October.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanberra has a rich sporting heritage so it\u2019s fitting Tennis ACT plays host to a range of national and international tennis tournaments and we are excited to deliver these events at our state-of-the-art facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe invite all spectators, players, families and locals to enjoy some great tennis and get involved over the long weekend,\u201d Kim Kachel continued.<\/p>\n

Clay court fast facts:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n