Liston Tennis Club team manager Dane Nebel and star player James Lemke are all set for the Asia-Pacific Tennis League season. 89431_01 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By LIAM TWOMEY
THE rules have changed and the stakes are higher but the Liston Tennis Club is looking for the same old winning formula when the Asia-Pacific Tennis League kicks off this week.
Liston is going for three premierships in a row and will again be led by a star-studded team including world number 227 Sam Groth.
Also in the side this year will be New Zealand Davis Cup player Rubin Statham, James Lemke, Dayne Kelly and Rameez Juniad.
Players will need to get their heads around a new format with Tennis Victoria increasing the stakes for successful teams.
Sets will be played to four instead of six with a tiebreaker used if matches are 3-3.
If players are locked at one set all, another tiebreaker will be played to decide the winner.
The overall winner of the Victorian competition will go on to face some of the best sides from around Australia, Hong Kong, China and New Zealand at Melbourne Park during the Australian Open.
Liston team manager Dane Nebel said his side was looking forward to the new format.
“Last year in Premier League there were six singles and three doubles and they were all best of three sets,” he said.
“It would start at 11 o’clock and finish at around seven. Now there is a big benefit for the spectators who can come down and it is like watching a Twenty20 game of cricket.
“They can come for a couple of hours and see the whole thing.”
If Liston is to complete the magical three-peat, it will be hoping Groth can match his heroics from last season when he went through the competition undefeated and was named player of the year.
Nebel said the new format would suit his star player’s style of game.
“We would assume that this format would suit a big server,” he said.
“You only have three chances to break serve otherwise you are playing a tie-break and in the tie-break he will always be favourite because it is hard to get a point off his serve and then he can have a few swings on the opponent’s serve.
“We want him to be number one and we want him to lead the team and take us to the next stage.”
Nebel identified last year’s semi-final opponent Dingley and grand final runner-up Kooyong as his side’s main competition when play begins.
The Seagulls will open their campaign against Donvale.
