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National News and Information |
Breaking News: Line umpires sought as Cairns named Davis Cup venue
July 2010
Tennis Australia has announced tropical North Queensland will play host to Australia’s most important Davis Cup tie in recent times. Australia will battle Belgium for a spot in the exclusive Davis Cup World Group at the Cairns Regional Tennis Centre from 17-19 September 2010. Line umpires wishing to officiate at the event should contact their divisional secretary for more information.
Exclusive: Nine Aussies off to Flushing Meadow
July 2010
Nine Australian officials will officiate at the US Open in New York in September. TOA Queensland members account for almost half of the Aussie contingent to officiate at the final grand slam event for 2010. The Australian officials selected by the USTA to officiate to Flushing Meadow are: Kerrilyn Cramer (VIC), Leanne White (QLD), Simon Cannavan (QLD), Shane Chung (VIC), Matthew Kellert (NSW), Abhaya Parthy (NSW), Tom Sweeney (VIC), James Tucker (QLD) and Shannon Walding (QLD).
True blue umpires
July 2010
TOA has introduced a new blue uniform shirt for Australian chair and line umpires. The current grey, long-sleeve shirt will be phased out by 2014 and replaced with the new royal blue shirt. The new shirt is available from TOA's uniform supplier, the Uniform Superstore, for $27.48. Members can still purchase remaining stock of the grey shirt at a reduced price. TOA will also introduce shirts and caps for referees (white) and court supervisors (red) in coming months.
AO applications close
July 2010
Applications to officiate at the 2011 Australian Open have now closed. Tennis Australia will undertake selections in consultation with TOA state divisions. Successful applicants will be notified in due course.
Australia's top chair umpire awarded silver referee's badge
April 2010
Australia's top chair umpire, Kerrilyn Cramer, has been awarded a silver ITF referee's badge. Kerrilyn collected her badge after successfully completing the ITF Level Three Referees' Course in New Delhi, India, earlier this month. It's the latest in a long list of achievements for the long-serving TOA Victoria member, who controlled this year's Australian Open women's singles final between Serena Williams and Justine Henin. Kerrilyn already holds a gold chair umpire's badge and is contracted to the WTA Tour.
Breaking News: Bronzed Aussies
April 2010 (Photo: Facebook)
Four Australian chair umpires have obtained their bronze badges after successfully completing the ITF's Level Three school in India. TOANSW's Catherine Caswell and Matt Kellert, TOA Victoria's Tom Sweeney and TOA Queensland's James Tucker passed the three-day chair course held at the R.K. Khanna Stadium - soon to play host to the Commonwealth Games tennis tournament - in New Delhi. Congratulations to them all.
The Official Word: Edition One - April 2010: download here!
April 2010
Tennis Officials Australia's new national newsletter is now available for download. The Official Word is the latest step in TOA's strategy to improve communications with divisions and its members. The bumper 12-page first edition is online now!
Brisbane Davis Cup squad announced
April 2010
Tennis Australia has named the 21 officials to call lines at next month's Australia v Japan Davis Cup tie at Brisbane's Queensland Tennis Centre. TOAACT's John Blow has been appointed as the local chair umpire for the three-day tie to be held from 7-9 May 2010. The full list of line umpires is below:
Cathy Smith calls 'Game, Set and Match' on distinguished career
April 2010
One of our esteemed, decorated and long-serving colleagues has called “Game, Set and Match” on a career spanning more than 25 years. TOAWA’s Cathy Smith has announced that the time has come to step away from Tennis Officiating to travel the world. Cathy Smith formally joined Western Australian Lawn Tennis Umpires Association (as it was called then) in September 1988 - although she had been officiating tennis on an independent basis for several years before. She was elected to the WA Board of Management in September 1989 as an Ordinary Member and retained that position until 1991 when she was elected Vice-President, a position she held for two years. In 1993 she became Secretary of the WA Association, remaining in that position until June 1997 when she was elected President, a position she held until June 2003. For the following year she remained on the Board as Immediate Past President and then once again nominated as a Board member. In late 2006 she volunteered to take on the position of Treasurer after the AGM in June had failed to produce a nominee willing to fill the position. She has remained as Treasurer since then and in that time has restructured the role and updated all aspects of the accounting/pay systems. Cathy wrote and produced WA’s first ever Induction Manual for new members in 1990, and in 1994-95 she re-wrote the WA Constitution and effected incorporation of TUA-WA in December 1995. In 1996 she organised and coordinated Australia’s first ever Level 1 National Referee’s course. Her teaching background made her the obvious choice to be the State coordinator for Level 1 Umpires courses, and for many years she has run numerous information evenings for club officials, umpiring courses for the tennis programs at some Perth senior high schools, and all referee refresher courses for the division. She has had overall responsibility for and has overseen all the general training of all WA umpires. After the education/training courses restructure undertaken by TA/TOA in 2008, Cathy was appointed as one of the National Educators for the new system. In 1991 Cathy became WA’s first ITF White Badge official and worked as a line umpire and chair umpire at local and national events, including the Australian Open. After giving up on-court duties she became one of approximately 15 National Evaluators who officiate at all the major National events. In January 2002 she attained her Silver Chief of Officials Badge, the State’s highest-ever qualification and one of only four officials in Australia to hold this qualification at that time. She has also represented WA at numerous Davis Cups, Federation Cups and approximately 18 Australian Opens, both in on-court and off-court positions, and has officiated at every Perth Hopman Cup tie held since the inception of the tournament. Cathy was awarded an Honour Badge by TUA in 2000 for outstanding service, was voted a Life Member of TOAWA in 2004, and in 2010 received her Honour Star Badge. Aside from almost 21 years continuous membership of the WA Board of Management, Cathy also served many years on the National Executive before TUA became TOA. She became a Council Delegate in 1994 and then served two-year terms in the positions of National Vice-President, National Secretary and finally as National President. Cathy has worked at every major WA event since she joined the Division in 1988 and has certainly devoted her time to the Division at an organisation level above and beyond normal expectations. Her knowledge and experience have been invaluable and her willingness to take on tasks for the good of the membership is outstanding. Cathy and her husband Peter are now about to embark on a future life full of travel and adventure, and we wish them every happiness in their years ahead. We are reassured, however, that being a Life Member she cannot vanish totally from officiating and, therefore, will remain involved to the extent that she is able, even from afar!
 Day in the life of a tennis umpire: Kelly Krusic
April 2010 (Photo: Tennis Australia)
Tennis Australia has filmed a profile piece on up-and-coming Victorian chair umpire Kelly Krusic as part of its officiating recruitment campaign. The four-and-a-half minute video, which includes an extensive interview with Kelly, was shot during the Australian Pro Tour event in Darwin. Check out the piece here: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=M4gtGm_Wl9c
Changes to Tennis Australia tournament rules and regulations
March 2010
Tennis Australia has announced changes to its tournament rules and regulations. The changes affect the Australian Money Tournaments, Optus Junior Tour and matches without chair umpires. All officials are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the new guidelines - especially referees and court supervisors. Copies of the revised rules and regulations can be downloaded here:
TA releases officiating schools calendar: click here
March 2010
Tennis Australia has released dates for officiating courses to be held across the country during the first half of 2010. There are already 29 schools for line and chair umpires, court supervisors and referees scheduled. Three introduction to officiating courses have already been held in the ACT and Victoria. It's expected several General Principles Courses will be held across Australia following a hugely successful recruitment drive by Tennis Australia and TOA during the Australian Open Series. There's been a major spike in enquiries from people interested in becoming tennis officials after the multimedia advertising campaign. Last month, 38 people attended a General Principles Day in Sydney alone - 29 of them became members of NSW division.
New president for TOA Victoria
March 2010
TOA Victoria's Board of Management has appointed Phillip Goodman as its new President. Mr Goodman replaces Robert Kane, who - after two and a half years as President - was forced to relinguish the position after his election to the TOA National Board of Directors. TOAV has also appointed Alan Cobb as the division's Vice President along with Jean Ringham.
Australia wins rain-interrupted Davis Cup
March 2010
Rain didn't dampen the spirits of the 25-strong officiating contingent at this month's Australia v Chinese-Taipei Davis Cup tie in Melbourne. Australia's team of Peter Luczak, Bernard Tomic, Carsten Ball and Paul Hanley clean-sweeped the tie five-nil and will now play Japan in May as they attempt to re-enter the exclusive World Group. All officials performed well during the tie. The Australia v Japan tie is likely to be held in Brisbane. Meanwhile, there were a lot of laughs at the official umpires dinner at the London Tavern Hotel in Richmond with first-time Davis Cup officials put through the 'initiation' process - forced to perform in front of their peers. The entertaining acts included a performance of Beyonce's 'Single Ladies', magic money tricks, beer-skulling, and a hilarious impersonation of chair umpires Leanne White (AUS) and Andre Kournilov (UZB).
Strong Aussie contingent for Roland Garros, Wimbledon
March 2010
A strong contingent of Australian officials will again be calling the shots at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2010. Catherine Caswell, Matthew Kellert and Abhaya Parthy (NSW), John Blom (ACT), Shannon Walding (QLD) and Kerrilyn Cramer and Tom Sweeney (VIC) will officiate at Roland Garos, while John, Abhaya, Shannon and Kerrilyn will also umpire at this year's Championships at Wimbledon alongside Simon Cannavan (QLD), Shane Chung and Di Larkin (VIC) and Matthew McAleer (NSW).
Commonwealth Games congratulations
March 2010
Twelve Australian officials will represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games tennis tournament to be held in Delhi, India, in October this year. The XIX Commonwealth Games tennis event will be held from 4th-10th October 2010 at the six-court R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex. It's the first time tennis has been included in the Commonwealth Games competition schedule. NSW Division's Wayne McKewen will referee the event, while John Blom (ACT), Simon Cannavan (QLD) and Leanne White (TOAQLD) will chair matches at the event. Shane Chung (VIC), Cheryl Jenkins (QLD), Kelly Krusic (VIC), Dianne Larkin (VIC), Kane Lillywhite (VIC), Matthew McAleer (NSW), Abhaya Parthy (NSW), Thomas Sweeney (VIC), Glenn Toland (NSW), James Tucker (QLD), Shannon Walding (AQLD) and Bhuvanesh Devarajan (VIC) have been chosen as line umpires for the Commonwealth Games.
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