Adelaide's Memorial Drive slammed for providing 'worst in the country' facilities

With Adelaide hosting the World Tennis Challenge at the city's Memorial Drive tennis centre this week, Tennis South Australia is calling for the venue to be upgraded, with Chief Executive Steven Baldas telling the ABC "our facility is the worst in the country and for us to continue to produce champions we need to invest in our sport."

With the neighbouring Adelaide Oval redevelopment nearing completion, the ABC has reported on calls for the ageing Memorial Drive facility to be upgraded.

With state tennis facilities in Brisbane, Hobart and Perth all having undergone recent redevelopments Tennis SA fears that without a similar multi-million dollar upgrade top line tennis could disappear from Adelaide. Having previously international tennis tour events, the venue last hosted its hard court championships in 2008.

World Tennis Challenge Tournament Director Mark Woodforde has warned that even that event, which this year features tennis veterans Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, Pat Cash, Mats Wilander, Yannick Noah, Henri Leconte, Tracy Austin and Australia's Nicole Bradtke, could seek a new home if improvements are not made.

Woodforde told the ABC "Tennis Australia have helped out so many other stadiums in Australia in the last few years and we're kind of the one that's been left behind," he said.

"I think the first step needs to be made from Tennis Australia to ensure that tennis stays alive and healthy here in South Australia.

"We have the plans already drawn up for a brand new stadium, a redevelopment here. We are in dire need of it."

The $60 million plans include new stands and lighting, and converting the centre into a multi-purpose stadium.

South Australian Sports Minister Leon Bignell says he is keen to sit down with Tennis Australia to discuss options, stating "if the Government is going to spend taxpayers money of that magnitude, we need to make sure that a) we've got the backing of the sports national body which is Tennis Australia and b) that we've got the local and state tennis people behind it as well."

An upgrade could be part of a potential South Australian bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Welcoming the World Tennis Challenge to Adelaide, Minister Bignell added "the event brings a world-class field of past and present tennis champions to Adelaide, and it's also a great event to showcase the redeveloped Riverbank precinct.

"Last year 15,500 spectators turned out across the three-day event, ... its global broadcast reached a further 5.6 million people ... and it generated $4.7 million for the South Australian economy."

The 2014 World Tennis Challenge is being held from 7th to 9th January at Memorial Drive.

For more information go to www.worldtennischallenge.com 

10th December 2013 - TORRENS RIVER FOOTBRIDGE A HIT DURING ADELAIDE’S ASHES TEST

24th October 2012 - ADELAIDE OVAL REDEVELOPMENT MAKES PROGRESS

19th September 2011 - LIGHTING EMBARRASSMENT HALTS AUSTRALIA’S DAVIS CUP CHALLENGE 

16th June 2010 - ADELAIDE PARK LANDS UNDER PRESSURE