Players aged between eight and 16 years are battling it out at the Regional Tennis Centre in a three-day tournament format, concluding on Thursday. 

James Bolzonello, head coach of Tennis World and tournament director, said about 60 participants from Tasmania had registered with a vast majority hailing from northern regions. 

“The beauty of this event is that we do get first-time players, as well as players who are trying to reach an elite level,” Bolzonello said. “However, it is aimed more towards the elite players, because we do have those introduction events throughout the year as well.”

Bolzonello made clear that the ‘silver’ competition was beneficial for all players.

“There’s bronze, silver, gold and platinum events. This one [in Launceston] is a sliver tournament. It’s a good lead-in to the higher ranked tournaments, and it’s a good pathway and great competition to see where they are at with the interstate players,” he said.

The opportunity for Bolzonello to assess all local players under one roof ensures that his coaching methods also come under scrutiny.  

“The best thing for me is getting to see the kids that I coach, and knowing where they are in their development,” he said.