On sunny days the courts are a hive of activity, with players skidding around the surface and conversations punctuated by the “pok” of racquets colliding with green balls.

Clifton Tennis Club president Steve Martin has been playing at the club for close to 25 years.

He says it is pleasing to see the community facility being so well used.

“We are interested in making opportunities for the people in our local area. It’s about some healthy recreation and enjoying the social contact that comes with that,” Martin says.

The Clifton Tennis Club operates within the Mayors Park Tennis Centre, a City of Yarra operation. Centre manager Jeff Baldassarre is also head coach at the courts, and has been with the club since 1995.

He says the 2006 revamp, which brought the number of courts to six – including two multipurpose courts that can be used for netball, soccer or tennis – was a turning point for the club.

The clubhouse, built in 1929, was also refurbished as part of the upgrade.

In 2000, the tennis club had about 90 members; now, there are more than 200, Baldassarre says. “Tennis here has tripled in size and the usage of the courts has jumped even more.”

The centre runs a broad range of programs, including ladies’ mornings, Saturday evening singles’ round robins and private coaching.

The juniors program is particularly strong, with eight junior teams last season and a juniors coaching program held seven days a week.

“Ninety-five per cent of the kids that now play competition have come through the coaching program,” Baldassarre says.

Oliver McGovern, 10, is one of the club’s success stories, representing the north-east in the Wayne Arthurs Cup, a junior team event, last year.

Martin says giving back to the local community is an important part of the Clifton Tennis Club philosophy.

The club supports children from the nearby Collingwood housing estate with coaching and membership through Concern Australia’s LiveWires Program.

“We try to respond to what the local community wants and have a strong commitment to supporting kids,” Martin says.

The club is hoping to expand further, with a recent open day capitalising on interest in the sport ignited by the Australian Open.

“Tennis is a sport you can play all through life,” Martin says, “and membership is open to anybody and everybody.” ■