Work will start immediately on preparing a surface suitable for international tennis following a Tennis Australia decision to host the next Fed Cup tie in Wollongong in April.
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WIN Sports & Entertainment Centre venue manager Marc Swan said much of April will be spent preparing the court for some of the world’s best players.
Mr Swan said the WEC team had been very busy in recent months but pressure is something they thrive on.
“We are really excited WIN Entertainment Centre can host international tennis,” he said.
“This adds to WIN Stadium’s program over the last six months with Elton John as well as Wigan and Hull. And this certainly adds to that flavour of bringing major international events to Wollongong for everyone to watch.”
Mr Swan said Wollongong has proved itself as a special events destination. Which means the venue and Destination Wollongong can confidently market the city to more potentical clients, promoters and venue hirers.
“We have been working with Tennis Australia for a number of years in pitching the venue as being ready to host tennis again. Now the opportunity has come up to do that we have certainly grabbed it with both hands. And we hope we can welcome Tennis Australia back for future events”.
Aussie captain Alicia Molik enjoyed playing at the WEC so much time the last time she played Fed Cup tennis in Wollongong that she was instrumental in the decision being made to play in the city again.
‘It is important the team is happy with the location and venue. So we are really pleased that Tennis Australia has faith in us to once again put a court down and make it happen,” Mr Swan said.
Different options are considered when a location is chosen. Mr Swan said the favoured option presently was to sand back and repaint the surface previously used.
“There is a fair bit of work to go into that to make it level and bring it up to standard. So in April there will be a lot of work in between events to prepare the surface”.
Among the challenges will be the Harlem Globetrotters visit on April 16. The tennis court will be levelled and painted before the basketball court is placed over the top.
“As soon as the Harlem Globetrotters is finished we will go straight back into tennis mode. We are expecting 5000 fans each day. So we encourage everyone when tickets go on sale next Friday to grab theirs from the authorised selling agent Ticketmaster,” Mr Swan said.
Premium seating for tennis is different to basketball. Tickets most in demand will be at either end of the court.
Destination Wollongong general manager Mark Sleigh said Destination NSW and the NSW Government were instrumental in working with Tennis Australia on securing the major event. Discussions have been held with Tennis Australia about hosting a Fed Cup tie again for a while but in the end it was the captain’s decision about where the team should play. “Alicia Molik was here in 2002 the last time the Netherlands played and she has made a decision to come back to Wollongong”.
“It is another fantastic example of the versatility of this area. A whole series of fantastic events have been held here recently. This facility is really putting Wollongong on the map bringing world class events to town,” he said.
“What event operators see is a really welcoming and enthusiastic community that wants to come out and be part of the opportunity to in this case,see a really strong Australian tennis team. And there will be significant media nationally and internationally.”
Official announcement on Wollongong hosting Fed Cup Play-off
Wollongong will host Australia’s Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Play-off against the Netherlands on 21-22 April 2018.
The tie will be played indoors on a purpose-built hard court at the WIN Entertainment Centre when the event returns to New South Wales for the first time since 2003.
Australian Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik has fond memories of Wollongong, having played in two ties there against the Netherlands in 2002 and Colombia in 2003.
“We’re excited to play another Fed Cup tie at home. I had success in Wollongong as a player and I really hope the girls can channel this when we take on the Netherlands next month,” Molik said.
“This all-important tie marks a chance for Australia to return to the top tier in women’s tennis for the first time since 2015.
“We expect the Netherlands to field a strong team when they travel to Australia. Our girls will have had plenty of match practice on hard court after the current US swing and will be ready to compete.”
Tennis NSW CEO Lawrence Robertson said the local community is looking forward to hosting Australia’s top female tennis players in Wollongong.
“It has been 15 years since New South Wales had the honour of hosting a Fed Cup tie and it will be incredibly special,” Robertson said.
“The city and the surrounds are a very active and passionate tennis community and I have no doubt they will get right behind the team when they travel to Wollongong in April.
“Tennis NSW would like to thank Tennis Australia, Destination NSW and Wollongong City Council for their support.”
NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the Play-off has been secured exclusively for Wollongong by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
“Australia has a long and proud history as one of the best tennis nations in the world and with three women currently ranked in the world’s top 50, we are primed for a return to the elite World Group,” Marshall said.
“This event is expected to attract more than 700 domestic and international overnight visitors to Wollongong, injecting approximately $370,000 into the local visitor economy which is great news for local businesses, restaurants, shops and tourism providers.”
Tie fast facts:
- The tie will mark the 11th meeting between Australia and the Netherlands
- Australia currently leads the head-to-head between the two nations 8-2
- Australia is looking to win its way back into the Fed Cup World Group for the first time since 2015
- The Netherlands will play for the chance to retain their spot in the top eight for the fourth consecutive year after they lost to 2017 Fed Cup champions USA, 3-1, in February
- The last time Australia played the Netherlands was in 2015 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and lost 4-1.
- Team nominations will be announced 10 days out from the tie.
Two-day ticket packages will go on sale via Ticketmaster at 9.00 am AEDT on Friday 23 March. Adult prices start at $72, concessions $64, juniors $15 and family passes (two adults and two children) are $159.
The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group tie between Australia and the Netherlands is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, and Destination Wollongong.
Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis. It is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 98 nations entered in 2018. The competition is 55 years old, having been founded in 1963.
Meet Australia’s most recent Fed Cup team
Casey Dellacqua, Ashleigh Barty, Daria Gavrilova and Destanee Aiava were the four tennis players chosen to represent Australia for the Fed Cup tie against the Ukraine in Canberra.
The team led by captain Alicia Molik enjoyed a 3-2 victory during the February tie which means Australia will now host Netherlands in Wollongong on April 21 and 22 for a Fed Cup World Group Play-off tie.
The winning team at WIN Entertainment Centre will advance to the eight-nation World Group in 2019.
The players:
- Casey Dellacqua, 33, was born in Perth where she started taking tennis lessons at the ago of seven. She is a left handed player who turned pro in 2002 and now lives in Sydney. She missed most of 2016 after a bad fall before making her return to doubles in 2017.
- Ashleigh Barty, 21, was born in Ipswich where she started playing tennis as the age of five. She is a right handed player with a two-handed backhand who turned pro in 2010 and now lives in Springfield. She is presently the No1 ranked Australian player and has a WTA ranking of 21.
- Daria Gavrilova, 24, was born in Moscow where she was introduced to tennis by her parents at the age of six. She is a right handed player who realised she was good enough to become a professional at the age of 12. She now lives in Melbourne and is presently Australia’s No2 ranked player with WTA ranking of 26.
- Destanee Aiava, 17, was born in Melbourne who initially played soccer. She is a right handed player who turned pro in 2015 and now lives in Narre Warren and is presently Australia’s No9 ranked player with an WTA ranking of 218.
The captain:
- Alicia Molik, 37, was born in Adelaide and started playing tennis at the age seven. She is a right handed player who turned pro in 1996 and during her career rose to a world ranking of eight and won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. She now lives in Melbourne and won Grand Slam doubles titles at the Australian Open in 2005 and French Open in 2007.
Mayor welcomes Fed Cup news
Wollongong Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery said the announcement of the Fed Cup coming to Wollongong being made the same time as a Sheffield Shield game was being played at North Dalton Park says a lot about the scenic seaside city.
Councillor Bradbery said it showed where Wollongong was at as a great place to visit for many reasons including elite sport, good food, wonderful scenery, a variety of activities, great shopping and entertainment.
He said the Fed Cup coming to WIN Entertainment Centre on April 21 and 22 was good for local business and would provide many economic benefits to the city and Illawarra region.
It will also add to the Wollongong’s profile nationally and internationally.
“This adds to the mix,” Cr Bardbery said.
“It will attract more visitors to the city. It is showcasing Wollongong as a place where there is certainly heaps of entertainment and sport.”
Cr Bradbery said the April Fed Cup tie was a great chance for the city to really get behind and cheer on a national team.
"This is really exciting news for Wollongong's tennis fans who have the opportunity to see some top Australian players right on their doorstep,"he said.
"We know Wollongong can host international sporting events of all sizes and codes. With each new endeavour we are enhancing our city's reputation as a destination for elite sports matches and putting it on the world stage.”
“The Fed Cup is the largest annual team competition in women's sport and Australia is competing for a place in the top-eight of the competition at this World Group Play-off. It will be broadcast live nationally and we're expecting fans of both the Aussie and Dutch teams to come out and cheer on their teams.”
“I encourage everyone to come along and support this exciting event."
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