Easton College News Stories

  

Friday 30th October 2009
The Murray's official open Easton College's Tennis Centre

Two members of Britain’s most famous tennis family were in Norfolk recently to mark the official launch of a new £3.2m tennis centre at Easton College.

British tennis ace and 2007 Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Jamie Murray and his mother Judy - a coach and now TV tennis commentator led the opening ceremony for the complex which features eight world-class courts, four of them under a giant air dome.

Both took time out to encourage and coach some of the youngest players at the centre before Jamie let action not words do the talking with an exhibition doubles match in front of more than 300 invited guests.

Partnered by LTA talent performance coordinator Warren Sawyer, Murray took the one-set thriller but only after Norfolk tennis stars Neil Plaskett and Dan Wynne seized their moment with a few of memorable winning shots.

Murray described the new centre as a fantastic facility, the sort that would give youngsters a great opportunity to boost the British game by following in the footsteps of players like himself and brother Andy.

Judy Murray said it was one of the best centres she had seen and a tribute to the determined work of Easton College principal David Lawrence and his team.

“It makes top class indoor courts affordable and accessible for players across the area,” she added.

Mr Lawrence said the underlying aim was to increase the take-up of tennis in the community particularly among young people. Operating as a pay and play facility, it would allow many more individuals the chance to play tennis on a round-the-year basis.

“It is not often that recreational players get to play on the same high performance surface that our top professionals have used in the US open,” he said.

“Working with the Lawn Tennis Association, Norfolk LTA and with fantastic support from the Learning and Skills council, South Norfolk District Council and Easton parish Council, we have what must be one of the best and fastest developed tennis centres in the UK.”

From a college point of view, they were developing tennis as a key element of the sports curriculum at all levels through high performance coaching.

They already have more than 60 weekly coaching sessions delivered by a team of five full-time coaches.
For more infromation on tennis coaching or to book courts, please contact Easton College's Tennis Centre on 01603 731302.