College Tennis at the Aussie Open

[therecanbeonlyone]

Right now the men's and women's teams from USC and USC (Southern Cal and South Carolina) are at the Australian Open to train and play matches against each other and against the Aussie Junior National Teams. This is the first time college tennis and a Grand Slam have teamed up to do something like this. All 4 college teams are ranked in the top 25. The players are getting a chance to watch the tournament, train at the tournament, and compete. It is a really cool situation.

The matches are scheduled from the 20th through the 22nd. I'm not sure if they'll be live streamed. There are a few articles about it, and both teams have some social media stuff ongoing, but I am surprised I haven't yet heard more about it. Here's one such article: https://gamecocksonline.com/news/20...ennis-to-compete-at-australian-open-2019.aspx

Can you even imagine being a freshman on one of these teams and starting your dual season with a top-25 matchup in summer temperatures at a Grand Slam?

 

[dave e dave]

Both d1 college players. Andrew Watson is a top 20 British player. And probably in the top 5 British players at college. In case you haven't seen it this is an lta tournament. Very entertaining tennis though.

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[J011yroger]

Good stuff. Is there a stream?

J

 

[dave e dave]

Good stuff. Is there a stream?

J

No. But most of the matches on this channel are very good.

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[jcgatennismom]

Right now the men's and women's teams from USC and USC (Southern Cal and South Carolina) are at the Australian Open to train and play matches against each other and against the Aussie Junior National Teams. This is the first time college tennis and a Grand Slam have teamed up to do something like this. All 4 college teams are ranked in the top 25. The players are getting a chance to watch the tournament, train at the tournament, and compete. It is a really cool situation.

The matches are scheduled from the 20th through the 22nd. I'm not sure if they'll be live streamed. There are a few articles about it, and both teams have some social media stuff ongoing, but I am surprised I haven't yet heard more about it. Here's one such article: https://gamecocksonline.com/news/20...ennis-to-compete-at-australian-open-2019.aspx

Can you even imagine being a freshman on one of these teams and starting your dual season with a top-25 matchup in summer temperatures at a Grand Slam?

Did the entire rosters of all 4 teams get to travel or just 8 from each? Last year the Minnesota Gopher team traveled to the Australian Open, practiced on some of the AO courts before Qualifers, watched some player practice, etc during an 11 day trip to Australia in January. There are daily blogs about the trip on the Gopher tennis site. However, it is even cooler experience for the two USCs that college players will get to play a dual match and exhibition match against the Australian national team this year. Wonderful that some teams have the budget to do take life-changing trips like this! I wonder if the coaches and players had to do some fundraising.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

Did the entire rosters of all 4 teams get to travel or just 8 from each? I wonder if the coaches and players had to do some fundraising.

The whole roster from both Gamecock teams made the trip. I have not been solicited for fundraising, so I think it is eating up a large chunk of the travel budget for this season.



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[J011yroger]

Meanwhile my local D1 women's tennis
has to have a fundraiser to get water to flush the toilet with.

J

 

[SavvyStringer]

Did the entire rosters of all 4 teams get to travel or just 8 from each? Last year the Minnesota Gopher team traveled to the Australian Open, practiced on some of the AO courts before Qualifers, watched some player practice, etc during an 11 day trip to Australia in January. There are daily blogs about the trip on the Gopher tennis site. However, it is even cooler experience for the two USCs that college players will get to play a dual match and exhibition match against the Australian national team this year. Wonderful that some teams have the budget to do take life-changing trips like this! I wonder if the coaches and players had to do some fundraising.

We (USC South Carolina) didn't do any fund raising. We just changed our fall and spring travel schedules to adjust and made a few other adjustments in some of the other budgeting to deal with it. It's an incredibly expensive trip to take 30 people for 10 days. Less big full team trips in the fall. We were fairly confined to the east coast to save money.

 

[J011yroger]

We (USC South Carolina) didn't do any fund raising. We just changed our fall and spring travel schedules to adjust and made a few other adjustments in some of the other budgeting to deal with it. It's an incredibly expensive trip to take 30 people for 10 days. Less big full team trips in the fall. We were fairly confined to the east coast to save money.

Is it rude to ask your budget? I truly have no idea.

J

 

[SavvyStringer]

Is it rude to ask your budget? I truly have no idea.

J

I don't know for certain anymore. Supposedly it's gone down a bit in the last few years. In 2014 we had the largest or second largest budgets in college tennis at about a million each based on the numbers shown to me.

 

[J011yroger]

I don't know for certain anymore. Supposedly it's gone down a bit in the last few years. In 2014 we had the largest or second largest budgets in college tennis at about a million each based on the numbers shown to me.

Obviously the bigger sports have huge budgets but they have bigger teams. I'd be interested in seeing a per athlete breakdown.

J

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

I don't know for certain anymore. Supposedly it's gone down a bit in the last few years. In 2014 we had the largest or second largest budgets in college tennis at about a million each based on the numbers shown to me.

We do have a pretty kick a** stringer, so that obviously takes up a large portion. And by "we", i mean "they." I am just a fan who still geeks out when I get to spend some time with the cool kids.

 

[Nacho]

Right now the men's and women's teams from USC and USC (Southern Cal and South Carolina) are at the Australian Open to train and play matches against each other and against the Aussie Junior National Teams. This is the first time college tennis and a Grand Slam have teamed up to do something like this. All 4 college teams are ranked in the top 25. The players are getting a chance to watch the tournament, train at the tournament, and compete. It is a really cool situation.

The matches are scheduled from the 20th through the 22nd. I'm not sure if they'll be live streamed. There are a few articles about it, and both teams have some social media stuff ongoing, but I am surprised I haven't yet heard more about it. Here's one such article: https://gamecocksonline.com/news/20...ennis-to-compete-at-australian-open-2019.aspx

Can you even imagine being a freshman on one of these teams and starting your dual season with a top-25 matchup in summer temperatures at a Grand Slam?

That is pretty cool, especially since there are mostly Americans on the team, that has to be an awesome experience and recruiting tool!

Probably will be a letdown to come back and play Presbyterian, South Carolina State, and UNC Charlotte while everyone else plays the indoors Go DAWGS!

 

[jcgatennismom]

@therecanbeonlyone Whose idea was the trip? Did one of the coaches approach the other team or did Tennis Australia come up with the idea and ask the ITA to suggest some teams who might be interested? I've watched some of the Univ of South Carolina players play when they played a fall tourney in Atlanta. I try to go to some of the UGA and GA Tech matches.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

@therecanbeonlyone Whose idea was the trip? Did one of the coaches approach the other team or did Tennis Australia come up with the idea and ask the ITA to suggest some teams who might be interested? I've watched some of the Univ of South Carolina players play when they played a fall tourney in Atlanta. I try to go to some of the UGA and GA Tech matches.

Honestly, I am not sure. I've spoken with the coaches about the trip and with our staff person who handled the arrangements. I know it has been in the works for months though. We all know that Southern Cal has a legendary men's head coach and one of the 2 most successful modern day college-to-pros players out there. Their women's head coach is a board member for the ITA, according to her bio. The Gamecocks' head coaches have a few connections too in both the college and pro ranks. But, it could have been as simple as finding 2 schools willing to spend the money who also each had both programs being highly ranked. Good question though.

Per a photo on social media, the gamecock men's team got a visit from GT's Chris Eubanks on the practice courts shortly after they arrived.

 

[SavvyStringer]

ITA/Tennis australia approached a handful of schools with larger budgets that could probably handle it. Texas turned them down.

 

[tennisjunky]

Seriously folks..... what is the REAL VALUE to this.....?
It sounds nice and I'd love to go...… but this sounds like another junket that only select programs could do.
This just shows you the lack of serious thinking related to development, sounds like a PR event.
Seriously, I've traveled to Australia several times and it a long haul... all the way on the other side of the planet!

And as a side thought,.... if roughly 50%-60% of teams (60% men & 70% women in TX) are internationals.... then are we flying internationals to go to an international tennis tournament to be able to see and train next to other internationals so hopefully we have more USA players in the future???? What's the value here. Then they will be playing against the Aussie Jr National Team...… how much do you want to beat that next year some of Aussies will be here on scholarships.
Just doesn't sound right me, I think we can do better.

Why can't we just make this a staple of every tournament in the USA and only invite people from the USA.
I just don't get it anymore!

 

[SavvyStringer]

Seriously folks..... what is the REAL VALUE to this.....?
It sounds nice and I'd love to go...… but this sounds like another junket that only select programs could do.
This just shows you the lack of serious thinking related to development, sounds like a PR event.
Seriously, I've traveled to Australia several times and it a long haul... all the way on the other side of the planet!

And as a side thought,.... if roughly 50%-60% of teams (60% men & 70% women in TX) are internationals.... then are we flying internationals to go to an international tennis tournament to be able to see and train next to other internationals so hopefully we have more USA players in the future???? They will be playing against the Aussie Jr National Team...… how much do you want to beat that next year some of Aussies will be here on scholarships.
Just doesn't sound right me, I think we can do better.

Why can't we just make this a staple of every tournament in the USA and only invite people from the USA.
I just don't get it anymore!

Supposedly the plan is to have Collegiate representation rotate through the majors over the next few years. I'm not very clear on how that will work for the French and Wimbledon since the players aren't in school at the time.