TUESDAY TANTRUM WITH GERARD WALSH

THE Australian Open is on and it is a good time to reflect on a bit of local tennis history.

How things have changed.

I recall when senior tennis fixtures were played each Saturday in Warwick.

Cup tennis was on a Sunday and Warwick would play games against Stanthorpe and Tenterfield on a home and away basis.

I remember playing in Tenterfield one day when there was sleet in the air and some cold days at Stanthorpe.

Stanthorpe was always strong with players like Leo Butler and Mal Perry always hard to beat.

There were some close inter-town struggles at the time.

Saturday afternoon trading was one of the reasons that tennis fixture numbers dropped off.

Tennis in the country is played a lot differently now. There is a lot of social tennis, annual tournaments, fun days, some regional team tennis and junior coaching.

The Warwick and District Tennis Association under president Nathan Costello is working on a lot of initiatives to keep the sport strong.

Three of the best players from the Warwick/Allora area from the 1970s on were Eira Sinkins, who was ranked as high as No.2 in Queensland, Jane Brown and Jason Sparksman.

Many of the state's top players in the 1960s and 1970s played in the two tournaments in Warwick each year, one at the association courts on the corner of Fitzroy and Lyons streets and one at the then St Mary's Courts on the corner of Wood and Guy streets.

Mal Anderson won a United States Open and later played in Warwick tournaments. Some of the professionals played exhibition matches in Warwick.

Things have changed in all sports. In cricket there are no longer games between touring sides and Queensland Country and in tennis, there is virtually no chance of attracting a world top-100 player to the country.