By ROY WARD
DINGLEY will feature several international level players when the new Asia-Pacific Tennis League begins on November 11.
The ATL will have nine-player sides featuring in a series of singles and doubles matches on the one day with sets played to four games, not six, and all teams playing at the one venue.
The men’s and women’s winners from the Victorian league will then play against other Australian, New Zealand and Asian winners in the ATL play-offs during the later weeks of the Australian Open in January.
The Dingoes, as Dingley has been dubbed, have signed Joe Sirianni, a former world 138- ranked player, and Adam Hubble, a world-ranked doubles and singles player.
Teenager Daniel Guccione, 16, is also a member of the Dingoes nine-player list along with players at the backend of their playing careers like player and coach-team manager Daniel Wendler.
While working as a tennis coach and winding down his playing career, Wendler said he relished the chance to play high-level tennis against rising international players and wily veterans like himself.
“It gives a good opportunity for guys like myself who have wrapped up our playing careers to still have a chance to compete and down the track earn some money,” he said.
“It helps on both ends of the spectrum — juniors will be getting the experience of what it’s like to play pro-circuit player, while it also helps guys at the back end of their careers who still have the hunger to compete.”
Wendler likened the ATL to the Twenty20 version of cricket and encouraged anyone in the surrounding suburbs to come and watch the competition when Dingley hosts a round of the ATL on November 23 at 7pm.
“It’s first to four games, rather than six games so we will have a lot of quick games which people will appreciate,” he said. “There are different matches on different courts and players like Sam Groth, who clocked the world’s fastest serve earlier this year, playing as well.
“It’s a great opportunity to see every player in the ATL play at Dingley Tennis Club although we play Grothe that day so I might sit it out and let the other boys take him on.”
Dingley Tennis Club in Rowan Road, Dingley, will host round four of the ATL on Friday, November 23 starting at 7pm.
For all the latest breaking news, stay with this website. Also, follow
the Weekly at
facebook.com/dandenongjournal or on Twitter
@DandenongJournal.
