Tennis

Fun, Friendship and Fair Play

by Becca Meurer

Off-The-Beaten-Path Tennis Courts

Rain in Singapore dampening your tennis spirit? Don’t despair, head over to the tennis courts at Winchester Tennis Arena. Tucked away in Alexandra Park, these littleknown courts are open to bookings by the public at a fee of $25 an hour. A booking at these courts can also come in handy when the sun is just too hot to bear any more.

Ever heard of Jurong Tennis Centre? Somehow when public courts at Farrer Park, Kallang and St. Wilfred are booked, these public courts are available for booking on the ActiveSG platform. Also of note, Jurong Tennis Centre is now home to Singapore’s first fully permeable, in-situ tennis hard court. The flooring of the recently repaved court will allow players to return to play soon after rain.

Tennis Committee Changes

The AWA Tennis Committee wishes a very sad and fond farewell to several of our committee members:

• Committee Co-Chair Becca Meurer’s organisation skills, clear thinking, and calm demeanor kept us on track during Covid limits and pivots.

• Tournament & Mixed Doubles Coordinator Jane Kim’s spreadsheet prowess and multitasking ensured our Burch Tournament (now AWA Doubles Plate) and Mixed Doubles ran smoothly.

• Clinics Coordinator Suzanne Murphy’s flexibility and forethought allowed our Discover Tennis Clinics participants to play within Covid limits and expanded our clinics for the first time to Advanced-level players.

Tennis Clinic Fun

• Assessments Coordinator Natalie Vulakh, one of our longest-standing committee members, ran Team Tennis (Advanced) for many years. Her historical knowledge and enthusiasm for the sport have been invaluable.

We also welcome new Committee members: Marline Fraticelli, Anita Young and Whitney Smith (Tournaments); Paige Jenkinson (Clinics); and Soledad Taylor (Team Tennis-Advanced).

The AWA Tennis Committee is a fun and active group. If you have enjoyed any of our many offerings and want to give back to the tennis community please join us. Contact Paige Okun at tennischair@awasingapore.org.

We’ve always got more tennis in the pipeline, and just as Spring Social Singles, Social Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Discover Tennis Clinics are winding down, the previously postponed Doubles Cup, our most competitive tournament, is coming to you the week of May 9, and look out for Doubles Challenge in the next few months. So much tennis excitement in the Spring air!

Here’s what’s coming up for AWA Tennis

AWA Doubles Cup

Our Advanced tennis tournament was postponed in November due to COVID restrictions. We are now holding the tournament on the week of May 9, on the courts of our sponsor, Savitar Tennis Centre. Registration opens April 4 and is $170/pair. Watch the tennis webpage, Facebook page and newsletter for more details!

Doubles Challenge

Doubles Challenge is back in August! Grab your favorite doubles partner and watch the tennis page on the AWA website for more details and signup.

Discover Tennis Clinics for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced players

Our tennis clinics, offered with our partner Savitar Tennis Centre, are always a popular and sold out activity! Clinics are offered in six-week sessions for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced level players, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. While our current session is just winding down, look out for new sessions for June-August.

Sub List: Can’t commit to a whole season of the above-mentioned? Then sign up to be a sub. It’s free! Coordinators will reach out to you when players are looking for a one-off sub. Note that our sub list refreshes every calendar year so be sure to sign up annually.

Tennis Assessments: the key to participating in AWA tennis activities and events. You are required to have an up-to-date assessment (within the past two years). AWA Tennis Assessments are now run by Savitar Tennis Centre on a monthly basis.

Stay in the loop

To sign up for AWA Tennis, check out the AWA Tennis web page under “Sports” and sign up for our monthly newsletter. Why not join our closed Facebook group as well (AWA Tennis)?

Becca is co-chair of the Tennis Committee. She and her family have lived in Singapore since 2019. She opened her art gallery, LatinArtSingapore, in 2021 and holds regular art exhibitions in her home.