2022 Tennis in NZ Award Winners

Erin has had the most successful year of career rising from a ranking of #55 at the start of the year to a career high of #29. Erin played in all 4 grand slams for the first time, most notably making the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. 2022 also brought Erin a WTA 250 title in Washington DC. The Washington WTA tournament was made possible by TNZ leasing the rights to the women’s tour event after the cancellation of the 2022 ASB Classic. Erin played with American Jessica Pegula and narrowly missed out 3 other titles, making finals of WTA 500 Bad Homburg and St Petersburg and WTA 250 Ostrava. Erin also made quarter finals at two WTA 1000 events.

This year’s U18 National Champion has had a great year transitioning from #355 to top 100 ITF juniors and achieving a WTA ranking (#958 singles #735 doubles). Vivian had success in both junior singles and doubles with peak performances being a J1 quarter-final, runner up in a J2, U18 National titles and narrowly missing out on the Wellington Open title. She won two doubles titles at J2/B2 events, was runner up at a JA, made semi-finals at J1 and took out the National U18 doubles title. Vivian made her debut on the Billie Jean King Cup team and winning her match. On the ITF pro circuit she made the singles finals of one 15K in Egypt and quarter finals in another. Additionally she has won two 15K doubles titles, one with fellow kiwi Monique Barry and made 2 15k finals and 1 25k final.

Jack has had an outstanding year, rising from #263 to a career high of #43 and first senior ATP ranking in October (#1207). He played in the main draw of 3 grand slams (AO, Wimbledon and the US Open), winning all his qualifying matches and a first round at the US Open. In doubles he made QF’s at Wimbledon and SF’s at the US Open. He also won a J1 in Thailand and made semi-finals of the J1 in Canada. Finally, he earned his first ATP singles points and singles ranking in October (#1217).

Monique is one of our Aussie based kiwis with her family. Monique achieved her WTA ranking earlier this year making quarter finals of a 15k and 25k in Australia. She also improved her doubles ranking from #1309 to #659, winning a 15k titles with Vivian and 2 semi-finals in a 15k and a 25k.

Currently her a WTA singles ranking (#881).

Ajeet started the year at a singles ranking of #829 climbing to a career high of #514 last week. On the way making the round of 16 in the Playford Challenger and coming through qualifying to make two more main draws at challenger level. Additionally he made the finals of an M25 in Vietnam and M15 South Korea. In doubles he improved his ranking from 477 to 382, making finals of the Sydney Challenger, winning a challenger title in Thailand and an ITF M15 in South Korea. Ajeet also represented NZ twice in the Davis Cup battling out against two tough opponents in Las Vegas and Finland.

Travis won the 2021 National Championships in the singles in May this year. The Nationals was delayed from being held in December 2021 and was held this year in May.

Travis is a deserving winner for this award. He won the singles title beating Glenn Barnes in a great finals match. Glenn and Travis are often seen battling it out in the finals as the number 1 and 2 players in the country. They are also a fierce doubles team unbeatable for many years.

Travis also assisted with the second JCD course held in Christchurch earlier this year.

Travis attends most regional tournaments in NZ and the off Australian tournament when he can. He is a competitive sportsman and is also part of the National Wheelchair Basketball Team playing for NZ and competing in Australia last month. The NZ team came second out of 8 teams.

Jane has been the top ranked womens 50+ player for the last three years in the Tennis NZ Masters Player Rankings. In 2021 she competed and won three gold medals in the Pascoes National Individual Championships.

In addition, Jane represented Hawkes Bay (open grade) winning her singles and doubles in their successful challenge for the Christie Cup against Manawatu. Also during 2021 Jane competed in seven Masters Tournaments throughout the North Island, winning doubles and mixed doubles on each occasion.

This Trevor Withers Trophy (TNZM Player of the Year) is given to a player who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of Masters tennis so who better than Jane, a friendly, enthusiastic, competitive player who inspires and encourages others at all levels.

Congratulates to Jane on her achievements and being the Tennis NZ Masters Player of the Year.

This award is awarded to the Region that accumulates the most points at the NZ 12U, 14U and 17U teams event. The winner of the 2022 National Junior Teams Event – Regional Champions trophy is the Auckland Region.

Mark started officiating as a Court Supervisor and Line Umpire – quickly showing that he had a fabulous understanding of the rules of tennis and made good use of that knowledge working at various events mainly in Wellington but further afield as well.

He trained under Matt Burrell and Christine McKnight to become a chair umpire and this year was selected for the South Pacific Games in Saipan as a Chair Umpire. He performed very well in Saipan under the guidance of Referee Scott Ray and has shown improvement in all areas of his officiating.

Melissa is one of New Zealand’s busiest tennis officials – she is dedicated in her role as a ITF White Badge Chair Umpire, as well as performing duties as a Referee, Court Supervisor, Line Umpire and Trainer. Melissa has worked at various events over the past year despite the disruptions to the seasons with covid. She was selected to work as a chair umpire at various events in Australia, Nationals in NZ, and has recently returned from tournaments in Japan. Melissa has worked hard in all her roles on and off court and has shown leadership and team effort throughout.

Volunteers are the backbone of our sport, and this evening we are honoured to recognise a volunteer that has elevated their role to something extraordinary – dedicating over 30 years of their life to tennis.

They have enjoyed two 3-year terms as Club Captain and served on the Committee for 14 years. They organise popular club events; volunteer at the bar; attend working bees, fundraising functions, socials, club tournaments, and always offer help when it’s needed - from the mundane (like mowing the lawns every fortnight) to the more exciting (like coordinating recent 100 Year Centenary Celebrations). And finally, when they are not volunteering, they play interclub for the club and have done for many years.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of amateur sports clubs, and tennis is so grateful for volunteers like this.

Nic takes a holistic approach to his coaching programme focusing on the process and not just the results of his players. Nic has detailed developmental pathways for beginners to advanced level players, these pathways are inclusive of external growth session working on player mindset and physical training.

Alongside his club-based player development he provides opportunities for the students to apply their skills, at a national level, by providing multiple tournament trips for his developmental players. These players are provided matchplay analysis, by Nic, to prepare them for their post tournament training and preparation for upcoming events.

These additional services Nic provides to his players, parents and coaches is why he is Tennis NZ professional Coach of the year.

This year, the recipient of the Club of The Year Award is a true example of a vibrant, friendly, and diverse tennis club providing for its members and local community. This year, the recipient of the Club of The Year Award is a true example of a vibrant, friendly, and diverse tennis club providing for its members and local community. 

Some achievements include:

- Membership increase of 29% this season

- Successful facility upgrades including courts, driveway, fencing, and LED lighting

- Organising and hosting multiple weekly senior club days, free Community Play sessions, business house primary and secondary school competitions, and vets and masters tournaments

- Recruiting over 30 volunteers for their Love Tennis event

- Providing a tennis programme for 3 local Kura Kaupapa

- Collaboration with the Squash Club (with which it shares a venue) on a new school programme. Starting with 4 primary schools plus the 3 Kura Kaupapa, the partnership has attracted 9 more schools to join the partnership in 2023. 

An outstanding club truly deserving of this award.

Love Tennis is a special event in the calendars of tennis clubs all across NZ and this club in particular went above and beyond this year.Love Tennis is a special event in the calendars of tennis clubs all across NZ and this club in particular went above and beyond this year.

- 7 volunteers attended the buzz night to kick off planning

- 5 of which were junior members.- Sponsorship was secured from the local building society and supermarket.

- On the day, there were 9 Love Tennis activities both on and off court, coordinated by 20 volunteers

- A special incentive of half-price membership was offered to the 200+ visitors which resulted in 84 new members joining this year.

- A quality follow-up and retention plan was executed, using ClubSpark to make connections between old and new members and to keep the buzz going with new player initiatives like:

o Sunday family tennis

o Family pizza tennis nights

o Tennis Xpress for new adult members

o Promotion of coaching opportunities for new members

Love Tennis is a cornerstone campaign for tennis in NZ and we are truly inspired by this club’s efforts.

This award goes to the club that is using ClubSpark in the most effective way. It takes into consideration both administrative use, e.g. amount of time saved for volunteers, and public use, e.g., a customer friendly website that has information for all types of online visitor. This award goes to the club that is using ClubSpark in the most effective way. It takes into consideration both administrative use, e.g. amount of time saved for volunteers, and public use, e.g., a customer friendly website that has information for all types of online visitor. 

This club has:

• Court booking availability to the public using ClubSpark software or Book a Court hardware

• Innovative membership options and types  

• Membership Management Module in use

• ClubSpark club website 

• ClubSpark Coaching Module

• Number of club volunteers or administrators that are trained to use ClubSpark 

The club who has ticked all these boxes successfully this year is Pāpāmoa Tennis Club.

Collaboration is key for many successful initiatives. This winning national programme project is an exemplar of that – an amazing joint effort between coaches, volunteers, parents, players, and staff.

This initiative is responsible for growing participation for Under 10’s, for providing a fun and safe environment for a child’s first competitive experience, and for creating a social connection between players and families.

Special mention goes to:
Mel Jansen and Flo Perret from Tennis Central.

The following coaches and coaching businesses:

Cyperus Tennis
Evolve Tennis
PLANiTPRO
Remarkable Tennis
Mark Flannery
Dave Knight
Leonie Ware
Mark Parsonage
Andy Wheeler
Adam Roberts
The following organisations and tennis clubs:
Nuku Ora and Good Sports
The Renouf Tennis Centre
Khandallah Tennis & Squash Club
Paraparaumu Beach Tennis Club
Tawa Tennis Club

And of course, the 40 kids from 16 teams, plus their families and supporters.

What a year this club has had - welcoming the marginalised Blind Low Vision community to tennis, supporting participants to improve their mental and physical well-being through tennis and social connection.What a year this club has had - welcoming the marginalised Blind Low Vision community to tennis, supporting participants to improve their mental and physical well-being through tennis and social connection.

Volunteer coaches (some completely new to tennis), and guidance from Blind Sport NZ have enabled the club to provide regular free coaching and lunch for Blind Low Vision participants and their families. 

The impact of this initiative on the club has been significant.

- Business partnerships with Sals Pizza, Coca-Cola, Rocket Kitchen & Hellers have been forged

- In June 2022, Stuff.co.nz ran a story on the programme

- Junior members have been involved in community outreach 

- New players and non-members have been attracted to the club 

- Previous members have returned to the club to get involved in community outreach. 

- Members have been inspired to start a similar programme for autistic children 

Sam has provided service as a leading administrator at a regional level, being involved in 40 years of regional governance at Canterbury Tennis (now Canterbury Tennis Region) in the years 1954 to 1994. He has over that period of time sat on the Management Committee and on the Wilding Park Committee (for 24 years, 16 as Chair) having responsibility for the 40+ court complex at Wilding Park which included leading the preparation of Wilding Park for a dozen Davis Cup ties. Sam was the regional tennis coach for many years and a founding member of the NZLTA Professional Coaches Association along with Stan Painter and influenced the establishment of the Australia Pro Tennis Coaches Association. In an era where Canterbury Tennis (like almost all tennis organisations), had no paid administration staff Sam was one of a number of core volunteers who effectively ran the organization for some decades devoting many hours a week (all while also performing his day job of running his sportswear shop).

Sam served as President of Tennis New Zealand in 1988-89 and is an Honorary Life Member and former Patron of Tennis Canterbury Region.

David has provided long service both to tennis in a leading governance role and in officiating.  He was a member of the Management Committee (and subsequently Board) of Canterbury Tennis (now Canterbury Tennis Region) for 32 years, being Chair of that Board for 18 of those years.  David also chaired the Wilding Park Indoor Centre Project Committee which oversaw the construction of the Indoor Centre and Administration Building at Wilding Park.  David was also a Board Member of Tennis NZ for 5 years.

As an official, David was an umpire and referee at an international standard.  He has officiated as umpire at Davis Cup World Group ties and has been an ITF Gold Level referee, in which role he has acted as referee or Chief of Officials at a number of ITF World Championships held in New Zealand.  Over some decades he mentored generations of Line Officials in those tournaments and in more than a dozen Davis Cup ties. 

David served as President of Tennis New Zealand and is an Honorary Life Member of Tennis Canterbury Region and NZ Tennis Umpires Association in 1994-95.

Cilla in many ways has been a prominent figure in tennis in the lower North Island for over 40 years, in Wellington, Taranaki and particularly in Wairarapa where she has been the leading administrator and public face of tennis in that community.

Cilla has also performed a wide variety of coaching roles over a 30 year period but her mentoring and encouragement of players has extended well beyond any formal positions that she has held.

Over that lengthy period of time Cilla has also continuously held a number of administrative roles, particularly in the Wairarapa area.

Cilla’s contributions to the sport have previously been recognized by her appointment as Tennis NZ Honorary Vice-President and she has received a Service to Tennis award from Tennis Central Region.

Nigel has provided over 60 years of service to the tennis community in Marlborough.  Throughout those 60 years Nigel has served in a variety of roles at Club level while also serving on the Marlborough District Association (later Tennis Association) for some 40 years again in a variety of roles including as delegate to many Tennis NZ AGM’s.  He further served a variety of administrative roles for the Marlborough Veterans Tennis Association.  His service extended to officiating where, upon receiving his umpire certification in 1958 Nigel has officiated in Marlborough for many years and has trained and mentored many officials over some decades.

Nigel, being a keen photographer has also over the decades with his photos have created a visual history of the sport and its players and occasions.

In 2017 Nigel was awarded the Marlborough Medal and in 2022 received the Royal Honour of Queens Service Medal for his contributions to sport. 

He is a Life Member and Patron of the Marlborough Tennis Club, Marlborough Tennis Association and the Marlborough Tennis Veterans Club.

Allan’s service to tennis is in the Morrinsville and Thames Valley area where he has provided over 50 years of service since 1957 both as an administrator at Club and Sub-Association level and for his umpiring duties.  Over that half century, Allan has performed a large variety of administrative roles, which included the founding of the Thames Valley Veterans Tennis Club of which he was President for two decades.  As a result of such long service Allan has been awarded a number of honours as well as life membership and patron roles for a number of tennis organisations.

Allan was awarded the NZLTA Long Service award in 1987 and has also received the Trevor Withers Memorial Trophy awarded by NZ Tennis Seniors for his contributions to Senior Tennis.

Beth has served as an administrator in Taranaki for over 40 years.  She has been secretary of a number of clubs within Tennis Central Region since the 1970’s and also has served as secretary to Taranaki Seniors Tennis for 25 years, currently still in that role.

At a regional level she has served on the board of the Taranaki Tennis Association and has been on the Management Committee of New Zealand Tennis Seniors for 25 years, a role which was recognised by her being awarded the honour of Administrator of the Year in 2010.

Beth is a life member of the Kapi Mana Tennis Association and Taranaki Tennis Seniors.  In 1982 she was awarded the NZLTA Long Service Award (and has continued to serve for another 40 years since that award!) and in 2019 she was conferred the Tennis Central Region for Service to Tennis award.

Sylvia, who hails from Tauranga, has provided service as an administrator foir over 40 years both to Tennis Central Region and Tennis Waikato Bays Region.  She has particularly applied her strategic planning skills across the many roles that she has fulfilled over that period, which has resulted in various clubs significantly increasing both their memberships and their capacities to deliver the sport, as she has as well established a number of tournaments over that period which continue to this day.

Sylvia has served on the boards of the Wellington Tennis Association and Tennis Western Bay of Plenty Association.  In those two regions she has been particularly prominent in interclub management over a 25 year period as well as providing tennis coaching.

Sylvia has been on the board of New Zealand Tennis Seniors for the last 15 years and is currently the Vice President of that organisation, a role which she has filled since 2010.

Based in Auckland, Kevin has been very prominent in tennis in New Zealand across various formats over several decades.

Kevin was a leading player in his time, playing Davis Cup for New Zealand and being a former NZ Hard-Court Champion. He has played internationally at Grand Slam level.

Following his playing career, Kevin turned to coaching.  In New Zealand he has coached at the highest level and was the NZLTA National Coach for 7 years before becoming a Regional coach at Tennis Northern Region.

He has served as the Fed Cup Captain for New Zealand as well as the team coach of the New Zealand team for the ITF World Youth Cup tournaments over a 4 year period.

In his coaching role, Kevin has chaired the Committee of the NZ Tennis Coaches Association and has served in a variety of volunteer roles across the sport, in coaching and governance and in mentoring many young tennis players, as well as having significant prominence as a broadcaster at tennis events. 

In 2018 Kevin was awarded the Tennis NZ Spirit of Tennis award.  He is a life member of Tennis Northern Region, Tennis Coaches NZ and the Upper Hutt Tennis Club.  He served as Honorary Vice President of Tennis NZ in 2020-21.

Brian is a very well known and highly influential figure in tennis in New Zealand as a result of his contribution to the sport over several decades.

Brian was first a leading player in New Zealand, playing for New Zealand in the Davis Cup and at Grand Slam Level internationally.

His governance and administration service to the sport started in 1965 and continues to this day, presently some 57 years of service, over a wide variety of roles.

A highlight of his service has been for the International Club of New Zealand, an affiliate of Tennis New Zealand, to which he has contributed in a variety of roles including Treasurer and Vice President.  His service was such that he is not only an Honorary Life Member of the International Club of New Zealand but also of a number of associated International Clubs around the world.

Brian served on the Board of Tennis New Zealand for two terms, a total of 6 years.

Brian is best known for his devotion to the mentoring and support over several decades of many in the tennis community including administrators and particularly players in the high performance area.  In that regard, Brian has also been prominent as a financial benefactor to tennis in a number of ways and was particularly involved in the establishment of the Seed Foundation which provides support to players in the high performance area.