Wagga wasn’t always a happy hunting ground for former Davis Cup star Sam Groth but the serving ace has always remained true to his Riverina roots.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Narrandera product was a regular face at the Jim Elphick Tennis Centre in his junior days and enjoyed making a guest appearance on Monday afternoon as part of the Sydney International’s regional tour.
“I very rarely get up this way now, which is a shame,” Groth said.
“Things are pretty busy now and it’s little bit too far to pop up for a day or so, but it’s nice to get back here.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in the Riverina – Corowa, Albury, Narrandera of course – and I played a hell of a lot of tournaments here in Wagga.”
The burly right-hander was once world renown for his scorching serve says he was rarely part of the winners’ circle in his junior years.
“I’ve got lots of good and bad memories from here actually,” Groth said.
“Obviously it was good growing up and playing around this area but I also wasn’t very good at that stage and didn’t get a lot of wins in Wagga.”
It’s a testament to the sporting prowess of Wagga and the wider region – one that Groth is eager to promote.
“There’s been a lot of good sportspeople come out of these areas and I think it’s great that tennis can come out to these spots.”
“I actually just got back from my honeymoon over in Africa and this has been my first stop on tour but it’s great to see them (Tennis NSW) taking the (Sydney International) roadshow out to country areas.”
Since announcing his retirement earlier this year, Groth has adopted many roles within tennis as a broadcaster, writer and ambassador but remains staunchly on the sidelines.
“I did look at playing a bit of footy earlier on but I ended up having a shoulder reconstruction and now I’ve got this new role which is great because tennis is still something that’s very close to my heart.”
“I'm not hitting too many tennis balls these days but I’m close enough to it and it’s nice to keep that involvement in the sport.
“Lleyton (Hewitt)’s a good mate of mine and he’s always doing a new comeback but I think I’ll leave the comebacks to him.
“I’m definitely done with the competitive side of things.”
Coincidentally, the Sydney International was a regular stop on Groth’s touring schedule but the former Davis Cup star found it to be much like Wagga – an unhappy hunting ground.
“I played there a bunch of times but I never did well in Sydney – Brisbane was ok but not Sydney,” Groth laughed.
READ MORE