‘It’s something I though I’d never have to do, but every greenkeeper would love to prepare a Davis Cup court,’ club groundsman Peter O’Dea said.
In anticipation of the announcement and the most significant competition of his 36-year career at the Broome Street club, Mr O’Dea said he started preparing the suburban grass court five weeks ago so there would be enough grass for the surface to be ‘hard and racy’.
Australia Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter selected grass for the matches and said the club’s location close to the beach was a bonus.
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READ NOW‘Home ties are special in this competition and it’s terrific to play at different places around Australia,’ Rafter said.
The competition returns to Perth after Lleyton Hewitt, Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge defeated Morocco 4-1 at Royal King’s Park in 2004.
Cottesloe beat three WA and three eastern states club to host the tie.
Temporary stands for 4500 spectators will cover 10 of the courts at the EventsWA-supported event.
‘We anticipate significant excitement when young tennis players and kids get to watch their idols play,’ Cottesloe Tennis Club president David Chadwick said.
‘As for the future, we’ll see how this one goes first because it’s a steep learning curve at this stage,’ Mr Chadwick said.
Tickets for the September 12-14 tie will be available next month.
– Last week, the club met Cottesloe Council staff to discuss the implications of a proposed, council-supported six hard court and two-grass court expansion of the playing area, mooted to cost $900,000, which could also improve the adjacent John Black dune park.
Chief executive Carl Askew said there had been no replies from community consultation so far.
The next step would be a letter-drop to adjacent Bryan Way, Broome and Napier streets residents in about a week.