Luke sets sights on grand slam

A GRAND slam title is the goal for Leongatha tennis player Luke Marshman.
Luke began his tennis career at just seven years old. Now 13, he has stepped up to play pennant for Leongatha.
Pennant has proven to be a challenge for Luke, who said he enjoyed the experience and having a good hit.
As well as pennant and his half hour lessons in Leongatha, Luke is part of the Traralgon squad.
He has experienced another big jump with the squad, moving from U12s to U14s.
The Traralgon squad is the Gippsland Elite Tennis Academy, and Luke is required to train for three hours in Traralgon on a Sunday morning.
Last year, Luke competed for the Central Gippsland Region, playing in the U13 John Fitzgerald Cup. Eight regions competed in this particular tournament, and Central Gippsland Region came in fourth.
He also played for the Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College Year 7 team at state level, which was another big eye opener for the young tennis player.
“It’s a good experience, and I make a lot of new friends through tennis,” Luke said.
Luke used to play basketball and football, but has since decided to focus his energy on improving his tennis game.
“I enjoy tennis, and I felt it was a sport I could improve on,” he said.
An integral part of being in the Traralgon squad is to set goals and work hard to achieve them. For Luke, the goal is to compete in the Australian Open and to be ranked in the top 10 in the world.
He has been watching the Australian Open closely at home, following the greats like Roger Federer.
His idol is Rafael Nadal, who unfortunately retired from the Open due to injury this year.
“The Traralgon squad encourages the players to set their sights on the top. The training is not just about physical tactics, there’s a mental side as well. It’s a more intense form of coaching to help the players get further with their tennis,” Luke’s mum Annette said.
In the short term, Luke is hoping to get involved in more major tournaments and hone his rally skills. He played in a club level tournament in early January, which took place in Drouin.
“We’ve had long weekends of travelling to tournaments, but we love to watch him play and see the improvements he makes,” Annette said.
“He has also travelled to tournaments with the club, which has taught him a lot about independence.”
Luke developed his love for tennis after playing alongside his dad Greg and sister Alicia, and aims to one day beat his dad in a match.

Talented: Leongatha’s Luke Marshman aims to improve his tennis and one day be ranked top 10 in the world.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Jan 30 2018. Filed under Featured, Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry