The Standard's journalists Nick Ansell, Sean Hardeman, Justine McCullagh-Beasy and Brian Allen are eager to talk sport via The Commentary Box.
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SEAN: Tennis has been a big talking point this week with the announcement of all the lead up events to the Australian Open to possibly be played in Victoria.
Some of those will head to regional areas with Bendigo and Traralgon touted as possible hosts. Warrnambool Lawn Tennis announced its annual summer tournament was returning.
It has a history of running big events so my question is do you think Warrnambool is capable of holding a world-class tennis event in the future?
NICK: I think it's a massive opportunity for Warrnambool. As we know, as a city we've often been overlooked for major events given the infrastructure restraints.
I'm not sure how Warrnambool Lawn Tennis' facilities stack up to those around the state but from what I can see, it's in a prime location and the courts are beautifully maintained.
Warrnambool has been overlooked for AFL pre-season, Big Bash games and many others because our infrastructure isn't world-class but potentially tennis is an area we can really grab as our own.
I'd love to see more events here considering Colac and even Moe have had them in recent years. Surely Warrnambool, a growing city and tourist hotspot, deserves some love.
The success of the South West Conveyancing Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic proves the city can handle large-scale events.
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JUSTINE: It's fantastic in a year when many grassroots sporting events have been cancelled that tennis is bouncing back.
The lawn courts are fantastic and it would be great to see some big names come here and play.
But the major Australian events are played on hard courts and our lovely city offers grass courts. It would be fantastic to have an AFL pre-season game, AFLW game or Big Bash match on our doorstep.
Hopefully the Reid Oval upgrades are a step in the right direction. Even a VFL or NAB League game would be a boost for the region.
We have been overlooked by those competitions in recent years due to dilapidated facilities.
Listen to this week's episode of The Main Break with Athletics coach Jeremy Dixon.
BRIAN: Surely, we get Roger and Rafa down here for a grasscourt exhibition match! Would be a good warm up to Wimbledon.
I'm going to adopt the Richmond Tigers' 2017 mantra - why not us? We had Slovakian professional women's tennis player Zuzana Zlochova here earlier in the year as well as Australian tennis player Belinda Woolcock.
I think Warrnambool should be in the mix for a major tournament like Bendigo and Traralgon this summer. Bring some of the stars down here and see what it does for the game.
JUSTINE: Speaking of tennis - do you think Federer can add another grand slam to his list? Had a nice long break and we all know what happened last time...
BRIAN: He's got that athletic build and efficient game style that lends itself to longevity. I wouldn't rule anything out. Taking extended breaks has worked a treat for him in the past.
But what about the next generation? Surely some of the young guns can start to dominate the tour. Some are 20 years younger than Fed.
Austrian Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open winner, is one.
SEAN: I would love Fed to get another title as he is one of my favourites of all time!
As for the younger generation I feel the tide is starting to turn but for now the greats in Fed, Nadal and Djokovic, who just won the ATP Tour finals, are still dominating.
These young guys need to find a way to consistently defeat these three and as the last few decades have shown they are pretty immovable objects.
NICK: Federer is just an outstanding athlete and a model professional and I'd love to see someone as dedicated to his craft as he is have another crack at even more success.
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