The Cool Crocs held the Greg Crump Cup aloft because the fifth version of the wheelchair match was contested on the Nationwide Tennis Centre this week.
Melbourne, VIC, 11 April 2025 | Jackson Mansell
The Cool Crocs reigned supreme within the fifth version of this week’s Greg Crump Cup on the Nationwide Tennis Centre. A crew initiative developed by the match’s namesake, 4 groups competed over two days in a round-robin competitors to find out the winners.
“After I was rising up, the crew’s competitors or the membership competitors was simply part of the tennis life, however within the wheelchair area, it’s not that massive a factor,” Crump stated. “My thought to introduce it was to get the crew mentality going and a few of my fondest reminiscences of taking part in tennis have been within the crew surroundings.
“It just about introduces new gamers within the sport in a pleasant secure surroundings, everybody has a very good time, it’s performed in good spirits and actually good enjoyable for everyone.”
‘Crumpy’ as he’s colloquially recognized, started his involvement in wheelchair tennis in 1986, volunteering at a hospital, in what grew to become a “lightbulb second”.
“Lots of people who become involved [in wheelchair tennis] have both a member of the family or a pal that’s had trauma or one thing like that, and there wasn’t any of that in my household or buddies,” he stated. “I had a lightbulb second that I’m gonna do that and volunteer at a spinal hospital and quick ahead 40 years later, right here we’re with vibrant t-shirts together with your identify on the entrance (referring to the Greg Crump Cup).”
READ: Crump wins prime worldwide honour
It was by means of his volunteering at native rehabilitation models that Crumpy met one in every of his good buddies, Anthony Bonaccurso, who this week helped lead the Cool Crocs to victory. The Athens 2004 Paralympics bronze medallist was launched to the wheelchair tennis coach following the accident that noticed him change into wheelchair-bound at age 17.
“He would come out [to the Austin Hospital] each Wednesday and from there, I did two-and-a-half months in hospital, so we’d have successful on this courtroom [near the hospital]. However he’s like, ‘Proper, we prepare at such and such membership out in wherever it was, out over the opposite aspect of town’. I used to be within the west and it was within the east,” Bonaccurso recalled of his early conferences with Crump.
“I began simply going there, performed in my day chair and I in all probability performed in my day chair for a very good six to eight months and I used to be like, ‘Oh, perhaps I ought to play wheelchair tennis’.
“There was a Tuesday night time program with all of the wheelies, so I might have my tennis chair, and I might catch the prepare to and from [Sunshine] at like six o’clock at night time. We’d end at 9 after which catch the prepare again dwelling. Then I mainly acquired higher and higher and Crumpy can be teaching me totally free again then as a result of there was no cash within the sport.”
Together with profitable bronze in Athens, Bonaccurso was a member of Australia’s profitable 2002 World Crew Cup contingent and reached a career-high rating of world No.16.
Over 30 years since his accident, the 49-year-old helps to proceed Crumpy’s legacy by means of his mentorship at occasions such because the Greg Crump Cup.
“I really like the sport of tennis, and I really like what Crumpy has achieved for me, and I really like what Crumpy’s achieved for just about everybody,” he stated. “I assume I admire it extra. If I might be round, I’ll at all times try to be right here, particularly for Crumpy Cup.
“He’s been within the wheelchair stuff for a zillion years, however you simply know that he has your again. He’s one of many best guys, and with out Crumpy, I feel wheelchair tennis in Australia wouldn’t really be nearly as good as it’s. It began with Crumpy after which it’ll in all probability finish with Crumpy (laughing).”
Discover your solution to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to hit the courtroom and have some enjoyable!
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