Narrogin Tennis Club’s Zander Wilkie channels his inner Nadal to debut for WA in Queensland country champs

Narrogin’s junior tennis ace Zander Wilkie joined a clutch of Albany teammates to enjoy a standout week of competition representing WA at the Queensland junior country championships. The WA top side finished third overall after a string of tough matches, clinching the bronze medal in the main division with a super play-off victory over New South Wales Sharks. Wilkie’s team, playing in the second division, were fifth. The December competition was split into two levels, based on the players’ universal tennis rankings, with matches involving singles, doubles and mixed outings. The Narrogin Tennis Club junior said he was really happy with the outcome of his first interstate comp. The 12-year-old said tennis had always been a centre point of his life, and he dreamed of becoming a professional player. “I’ve always been at the club from the get-go, and I just loved it,” he said. When preparing for the event in Queensland, Wilkie said he channelled his two favourite tennis champs — Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz. He said he looked up to Nadal because of his mindset as the Spaniard always remained calm and positive during games while showcasing strong sportsmanship. Wilkie said Nadal was the only professional he could think of who had not smashed a racket. The Narrogin youngster said he loved Alcaraz for his speed to the ball and his overall on-court energy. Wilkie’s best moment in Queensland came when he hit a drop shot to an opponent, who responded with a lob which flew over Wilkie’s head, but he was quick to react and ran back to meet it. He said he then slid to “hit a passing shot down the line”, ultimately winning the point. Aside from tennis, Wilkie said his favourite thing about the competition was meeting like-minded people and spending quality time with his mates playing a game they loved. In Queensland, Wilkie’s team suffered several tie-break losses in the opening rounds but dominated against Southern Stars to win 8-0, and then gathered victories in rounds six and seven. Victory over Sunshine Coast Lightning Storm in their last match sealed fifth spot in the 12-team competition.