China meets Western Australia at the net

Some of China’s brightest junior tennis talents have touched down in Perth for a 25-day training camp, that will see them receive high performance tennis and fitness instruction from elite coaches and trainers from Tennis West, participate in tennis competition with Western Australian players and enjoy a full cultural program.

21 January 2010

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz Swing for the Stars International Junior Tennis Camp is running from 15 January–9 February 2010 at the National High Performance Academy (State Tennis Centre, Burswood) in Perth.

The camp is part of the Mercedes-Benz Swing for the Stars Junior Development Program co-organised by the China Tennis Association (CTA), Beijing International Group, and Tennis West.

The visiting Chinese tennis delegation is comprised of CTA vice presidents Sun Jin Fang and Liu Zhi Wei, coaches, and players including:

• four junior players (12 & under) selected from the Mercedes-Benz Swing for the Stars National Junior Tennis Seminar and Camp held in Nanjing from 14–21 November 2009 in conjunction with the China Tennis Grand Prix “Mercedes-Benz Cup”;

• four junior players (13 & under) selected from the Mercedes-Benz Summer Camps; and

• three players (12 & under) selected as part of a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) cooperation program with the Mountain Flowers Children Foundation.

The participating players were selected through two stages of the Swing for the Stars and Tour 2016 tennis training and championship competition, which in 2009 included 14 provincial clinics and championships throughout China involving over 700 junior players and coaches.

Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) Manager Sport International Hallam Pereira said the visit, facilitated by the Department of State Development and DSR, not only allowed the Chinese delegation to tap into WA’s training expertise, but would also result in more opportunities for WA players.

“Working closely with other countries such as China brings about a range of opportunities for our own athletes, including opportunities to travel internationally as part of their development and importantly, gain exposure to overseas competition and training at the sub-elite level,” Mr Pereira said.

As part of the visit, the Chinese team is entered in a tournament in Midland on 27–29 January, and will also compete in an Australia vs China Challenge at the State Tennis Centre, Burswood on Saturday 6 February.

The all-expense paid training program is officially sanctioned by the China Tennis Association, organised by Beijing International Group, and title sponsored by Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, along with Presenting Sponsor Deerway China Co. Ltd, and official sponsors Dunlop Sport.