Matt Wilson
Kingston tennis club are entering a team in the first annual university touch tennis competition in Cardiff in March.
Tennis captain, and professional coach, Chris Daw has been using the fastest-growing racket sport to assist his coaching sessions and now the university team are preparing for the UK competition.
“Infectious sport”
Daw said: “The aim is to get universities competing in a BUCS league or maybe an individual championship. It’s an infectious sport you will not want to stop playing when you first give it a go.”
Touch tennis was developed by Rashid Ahmed and numbers have grown to over 1,000 players in the last four years and there are already competitions with prize money.
The game is played on a smaller court measuring 12m by 5m, the net is between 80cm and 91cm high and is played with smaller rackets.
Mr Ahmed said: “It levels the playing field and reduces the emphasis on power in favour of tactics and heart.
“We hope to make this event an annual BUCS fixture and in turn to promote tennis amongst the uni age group.”
In the coming months Daw will be deciding on who will make up the team of four, two men and two women, to enter next year’s competition.
Huge prize for winners
The winners of the competition will win £1,000 for their university and £1,000 in Babolat products which specialise in tennis equipment.
Daw said: “It’s even more chess-like and takes away the power element of tennis somewhat. Serving and volleying is rife, tactics win over power.”
Konstantinos Patas