HAWKESDALE tennis star Eloise Swarbrick has found dedication to her training has helped her recent form spike on the tennis court.
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The 16-year-old has scored doubles victories, with Merlbourne-based training partner Kiana Mokhatari, at the silver Australian Money Tournament events in Bendigo and Hobart.
The Emmanuel College student has also had some close defeats in singles draw and at a recent pro tour event in Bendigo. She also tested her skills in two International Tennis Federation events in Sydney and Canberra, where she collected four match victories in the tough junior circuit.
The Hawkesdale resident credited her work off the court as a key factor in keeping her at the top of her game.
“I have been doing a lot of training, recovering and strength and conditioning just to maintain the level I am at,” Swarbrick said.
“It’s important I do my recovery and make it as good as it can be. All of it has helped and the sorts of recovery I do, say going to the beach and walking in the cold water, has helped with my continued development.”
The exposure to a higher level is starting to show effects in parts of Swarbrick’s game that she needed to improve.
“My ground strokes have definitely improved in the harder hitting ranks I have played in,” she said.
“I am hitting more flatter and a lot stronger than I used to and my game and court awareness, such as where I am placing my balls and stuff like that, has definitely got better.
“That has all come from me playing more tournaments and getting that awareness under by belt.”
Swarbrick is now eyeing strong performances in a busy summer campaign.
The teenager is preparing to fight for a spot in Tennis Australia’s December Showdown at Melbourne Park.
She will be aiming to make it through qualifying this weekend for the event which kicks off on December 1.
After that Swarbrick will aim for tournaments in Melbourne, Bendigo and around the state as she looks to qualify for another ITF ranked Loy Yang Traralgon Junior International in January.
But the one tournament Swarbrick is eager to tackle is the Tennis Victoria Women Premier League Super Round event with her Melbourne club, Hume tennis.
Hume will be competing against five of the state’s top clubs in Kooyong, Royal South Yarra, Beaumaris, Glen Iris and Liston.
“Playing the premier league against some pros is such a big honour,” Swarbrick said.
“Lisa Whybourn (Hume team captain) spotted me in Queensland and she watched me there and liked what she saw and asked me to play for them in the premier league.”