By Jonty Ralphsmith
Meetings, phone calls, door-to-door promotion and sponsor-lobbying.
It took months to bring Bunyip Tennis Club’s Ace Classic to life and after a successful first edition, the club is optimistic it can become an annual event.
Formulated in October 2023, it is a unique case study to consider.
The Ace Classic is not run by Tennis Australia and there are no Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR) points on offer.
Players are incentivised by the prize money and standard of tennis – highlighting the importance of sponsors and securing well-regarded names.
Engaging former Bunyip member Andrew Nicholls and coach Chris Millidonis to reach out to players was key to the tournament’s success, given both are ingrained in the tennis community.
The pair promoted the tournament, while the committee, embedded in the Bunyip township, targeted sponsors.
By late December, the Ace Classic, through a web of contacts, secured two big names and confirmed $1500 in prize money for the winner, as well as $500 for the runner up and $200 for the semi finalists.
Joshua Charlton and Corey Gaal are both well known in the sport, their presence legitimising the Ace Classic, played concurrently to higher profile tournaments with bigger draws and UTR points on offer.
“We’ve made so much noise with this tournament that they will be playing at other tournaments and hearing about it,” Millidonis said.
“There’s a fair bit of industry interest behind it.”
The possibility of testing oneself against players with an Association Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking dangled the carrot for competitors from around Melbourne and as far down the Princes Highway as Bairnsdale.
Charlton has played college tennis in recent years and Gaal toured on the second-tier International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit in 2023.
While the feedback from the Gaal camp was positive after Friday, he was a late call-up to play in the Burnie International qualifying tournament which begun on Sunday so was forced to withdraw from his semi final clash of the Ace Classic.
Such challenges are unavoidable in a jam-packed tennis calendar, particularly when appealing to players on the edge of the professional circuit.
With no points on offer, players are essentially paying to have a hit, hoping to make the money back by reaching the semis – all the money which goes into entering flows back out.
Winner Charlton pocketed $1500, while runner-up Daniel Strorman netted $500 and the two semi finalists earned $200.
The only money that Bunyip made on the day was via canteen, bar and barbecue sales on-site.
“We want to put Bunyip Tennis Club on the map and this tournament certainly does that,” said secretary Vanessa Kent, a key catalyst behind-the-scenes in bringing the tournament to life.
“A few players have said they’ve driven past Bunyip on the freeway but have got no idea about it – there’s no reason to pop in.”
The lack of points on offer put a currency on running an organised show with player comfort and satisfaction as high priorities.
The club had a masseuse and restringing available for the players on-site.
“Players need to walk away from the event knowing they were cared for and looked after – that’s how you get people coming back,” Millidonis said
“It’s about getting people on the court at all costs and making sure the enjoyment factor is there, rather than running it like a business.”
Those at the club are hopeful players will speak positively about their experience and attract others, to elevate the standard to the next level next year.
Several tennis clubs run annual Easter tournaments, with the Bunyip Tennis Club hoping to build the late January Ace Classic as a similar marquee event.
“Hopefully next year it will be a bigger and better event and we’ll have more competitive play,” said president Tyson Dennis.
“The concept is to make it a three-day event with people making use of the campgrounds and going up to the pub to have meals, to tie the tournament in to supporting local businesses.”
Charlton’s testimonial about his experience at Bunyip verifies the confidence and vindicates the hard work to establish the tournament.
“It’s pretty special any time there is a tournament locally and one that supports regional tennis,” Charlton told Star News.
“I think Andrew and the team have done a great job gathering high-level players at Bunyip Tennis Club and it’s nice to see this event go on.
“The spirit of the tennis club and community here is very attractive – it’s clear they care about the players because it’s organised well and there is food and services for us.
“I hadn’t really known much about Bunyip Tennis Club which is another reason why the event is cool.
“It’s a great little club and it’s great to get it some attraction.
“There’s a great purse here, they’ve done well to secure sponsors, so that’s attractive for players to compete for and what makes it special is the sense of community.
“It will leave a good taste in our mouths and I will keep it in mind for the future.”
