Doveton teen Trent Cobb unloads on a forehand on his way to the singles title at the Casey Junior Masters last weekend.By Paul Pickering
AS the international tennis spotlight fell squarely on Melbourne Park last weekend, the future of the game in Dandenong and Casey was on display for all to see at the Casey Junior Masters tournament in Narre Warren.
Shining brightly among the game’s future stars was Keysborough youngster Azra Hadric.
The 13-year-old talent stormed to victory in the Under 14 Girls’ singles before claiming the doubles title with Tyabb teen Adele Palmer.
Hadric, the top seed in both singles and doubles, proceeded through the singles draw without losing a set, dropping just 17 games in four matches.
Her dominance caught the eye of many an onlooker over the weekend, not least of which was tournament chairman Paul Kleverlaan.
“She was a clear stand-out in her age group,” Kleverlaan said.
The tournament – part of the Optus Junior Points Tour – was held from Wednesday to Sunday, attracting elite youngsters from across the country.
While the locals were out in force, Kleverlaan was delighted to host a handful of interstate players as well as seven competitors from Japan.
But the show was stolen by Doveton powerhouse Trent Cobb, who justified his top seeding by cruising to victory in the Under 16 Boys’ singles.
Kleverlaan has no doubt that Cobb will be one to watch in the next couple of years, noting that the emerging left-hander has improved out of sight in the past 12 to 18 months.
While the tennis at the Narre Warren complex was compelling viewing, Kleverlaan said there was always a crowd gathered in the clubrooms with an eye on Australian Open proceedings.
“The atmosphere was great,” he said. “We had the TV going all weekend.”
