The JDS is an iniative by Tennis NSW to provide a stepping-stone to tournaments for children who are coached at clubs throughout the area.

Competitors from Coffs Harbour down to Forster played at three different venues last weekend, Sunday May 22, including Westport, Eastport and Kendall.

Westport Tennis Club coach Mark Rawlingson said the tournament was a fantastic way to showcase the best juniors from the towns up and down the coast.

“Port Macquarie is in the lower north-east Tennis NSW region and during this tournament we have 105 Port Macquarie kids playing,” he said.

“Tournaments like this bring the best kids of the various towns and clubs together to compete and improve their skills.”

The winners of this tournament, which features several age group, accrue points for champions of champions and other state titles, which they will go onto and play in the future.

“There are three more legs in the series and this is the fifth leg of the series,” Mr Rawlingson said.

“There is an overall winner for each age group at the end of the eighth leg.”

Doug Wilkinson, Country Deligate Tennis NSW, said the sport was popular on the mid-north coast.

“This lower area, from Tweed Heads to Forster, includes Port Macquarie which seems to have quite large numbers of junior tennis players,” he said.

“The JDS promotes the players from coaching into tournament level. It’s their first stepping stone onto the junior tour and it helps develop them as players.”