Tennis time: Dingley, led by Daniel Wendler, is ready for the Asia-Pacific Tennis League. Picture: Ted Kloszynski
DINGLEY will feature several international-level players when the Asia-Pacific Tennis League begins on November 11.
The ATL will have nine-player sides featuring in a series of singles and doubles matches on the one day with sets played to four games, not six, and all teams playing at one venue.
The men's and women's winners from the Victorian league will then play against other Australian, New Zealand and Asian winners in the ATL play-offs during the later weeks of the Australian Open in January.
The Dingoes, as Dingley has been dubbed, have signed Joe Sirianni, a former world No. 138, and Adam Hubble, a world-ranked doubles and singles player.
Daniel Guccione, 16, is also a member of the Dingoes nine-player list along with players at the back end of their careers such as player and coach-team manager Daniel Wendler.
Wendler said he relished the chance to play high-level tennis against rising international players and wily veterans like himself, while working as a coach and winding down his playing career.
"It gives a good opportunity for guys like myself who have wrapped up our playing careers to still have a chance to compete and down the track earn some money," he said.
"It helps on both ends of the spectrum — juniors will be getting the experience of what it's like to play pro-circuit players, while it also helps guys at the back end of their careers who still have the hunger to compete."
Wendler likened the ATL to Twenty20 cricket and encouraged anyone in the surrounding suburbs to come and watch the competition.
"It's first to four games, rather than six games.
Dingley Tennis Club in Rowan Road, Dingley, will host round 4 of the ATL on Friday, November 23 at 7pm.