Tennis version of T20 starts at Mount in October

NEW CONCEPT: Jason Helms, left, and Keith Cooke at the Mount Maunganui Tennis Club. PHOTO: Supplied

Mount Maunganui Tennis Club will host an innovative new event that organisers hope may have a similar impact on tennis that Twenty20 has had on cricket.

With three to five set matches, including a last set tie-breaker, often taking hours to complete, there was a desire to come up with a rapid-fire version of the game that would attract younger fans.

The brand new unisex, one-set tennis competition has just launched in the Western Bay of Plenty, with top-ranked players signed to play.

The Golden Homes Sunday Shootout competition was created by former touring tennis pro Jason Helms. It is to be held on one Sunday afternoon in October, November, December and January, with $1000 prizemoney up for grabs at each tournament.

At each event 16 singles players will compete over three hours on the new courts at Mount Maunganui Tennis Club, with men and women playing against each other.

"It is the T20 of the tennis world, providing fantastic match practice for players and great for spectators, especially for kids," said Helms.

"We need our children to watch some incredible tennis, to get inspired. Parents will love this tournament, because it is over quickly, so works in with children's attention spans.

"For the players there is no waiting around, no delays. It is fast tennis, sudden deuce games, one set. Every shot counts, the pressure is intense. You need to bring your A-game to the table."

Golden Homes Sunday Shootout is an invitational event where players enter before the draw is announced a week before each tournament.

Helms said he was stoked with the quality of entrants within a week of announcing the competition, with two world-ranked players and many other quality players signed up.

"College tennis players returning from overseas over Christmas, ex-pros who are now coaching, up-and-coming tennis players, overseas players travelling, Davis Cup players and regional representatives, are expected to enter," he said.

Mount Maunganui Club president Keith Cooke said they were thrilled to host such an exciting event, bringing New Zealand's top players to their club.

"When our premier teams play here there is a big crowd that turns out to watch, so we are expecting a huge turnout given the calibre of these players. It is a great lead into the big tennis tournaments in January," he said.

Helms, who played college tennis in California as a teenager in the 1990s, was coached by Guy Fritz, the father and coach of Taylor Fritz, who played in the men's third round of this year's US Open.

Helms was in the team that has won the last three 35-plus New Zealand National Senior teams titles.

"It is a great opportunity to bring top tennis to the provinces, and we couldn't have done this without local sponsors, all of whom are passionate about tennis - most of them are premier tennis players," Helms said.

"The major sponsor is Golden Homes, with the official sponsors being Village PR and Marketing, AR&R, Epic Windows & Doors, Spreadmaster Transport, Boshier Engineering Limited, Macchatio Global and Sal's Authentic New York Pizza."

Golden Homes Sunday Shootout
Mount Maunganui Tennis Club, Blake Park.
October 8, November 5, December 10, January 7 at 3.30pm.
Free entry spectators.
Details: www.sundayshootout.co.nz