Australia Establishes a Training Base in Germany

Written by: Staff on 10th May 2012

Australia Establishes a Training Base in Germany

epa03206237 Australia's Bernard Tomic returns a ball to Spain's Feliciano Lopez during their quarter final match of the ATP?Tournament in Munich,?Germany, 04 May 2012. EPA/MARC?MUELLER |

Australian tennis players on the road in Europe may never get homesick again now that Tennis Australia has set up a training base in one of Germany’s most amiable cities, Munich. The federation has signed a contract with BTV TennisBase in hopes of paving the way for young Australians to hone their claycourt skills on European clay.

“The central location and perfect training facilities at BTV TennisBase in Munich make it an ideal European training base for both our juniors and tour professionals,” said federation tennis chief Craig Tiley.

“This European summer we will have more than 50 players – from National Academy and AIS athletes, Davis and Fed Cup players and wheelchair athletes – using these great facilities for training blocks between tournaments and Grand Slam preparation.”

On tap for the visiting Aussies will be four clay courts, five indoor hardcourts, a fully equipped gym, soccer pitch, running track, indoor basketball courts, indoor swimming pool, onsite accommodation and full-service cafeteria.

A pair of young Aussies have already shown their dedication to the clay, with Bernard Tomic and Marinko Matosevic reaching the quarter-finals of last week’s ATP event in the Bavarian capital.

Mark Edney, Tennis Australia’s AIS and Tours Manager, has spent six months researching suitable facilities.

“The most important aspect of finding a home base in Europe was to have the most professional and disciplined training environment for our elite players,” Edney said.

“We have great training environments in Australia and now in Munich our players can prepare with total focus and have all the necessary resources at their disposal.

“This is the first time Tennis Australia has truly had a ‘home base’ with the facilities to service all our players, from elite juniors to professional.”