NZ’s Second Tennis Player This Season to Compete in Overseas Blind/Low Vision Tournament

Auckland’s Rhonda Comins is set to compete in Adelaide at a Blind/Low Vision tennis tournament later this year. She is the second BLV player from New Zealand to travel overseas for a tournament recently, highlighting the growth of this version of the sport.

“I started playing tennis as a teenager; however, that was around when my eyesight began to close in.” says Comins, who was diagnosed with Rod/Cone Dystrophy, a feature of Usher’s Syndrome.

“10 or 15 years ago, it was like looking through a toilet roll. These days, it’s like looking through a straw.”

Having that prior experience with the sport meant that Comins had the muscle memory locked in when she tried tennis again as an adult.

“Initially, I wasn’t sure about BLV tennis, but I’m so glad I pushed through and gave it a go. It all came back to me, and it was amazing to be on court again.”

Although the sport is difficult, Comins relishes the challenge and knows what to work on.

“BLV tennis is rewarding. I'm grateful my body is agile, and I have a good ear. I’m working on becoming even more agile to increase my percentage of returned shots.”

Comins says she owes a lot to Ngatira Tennis Club, which hosts a BLV tennis session for free every second Sunday. According to Comins, there is currently a core group of about seven or eight BLV players who train regularly at Ngatira, and that number is slowly growing.

“The club has just been so incredibly welcoming. They are really encouraging to everyone, and really want you to be successful. The coaches volunteer their time, and the extra helpers gather the balls and assist generally. They want you to have a great on-court experience. Then we all share lunch at the club afterwards.”

With Ngatira providing the foundation for her training, Comins was able to visit Melbourne and train at the National Tennis Centre there, getting access to more players and coaches.

“That was when I really started to get committed. After having professional coaching in Melbourne and being so inspired by Lissie, that’s when I really began to focus more.”

Lissie Cleave recently went from New Zealand to Italy to compete at the Blind Tennis World Championships and to Poland for the European Championships.

“Lissie is the only athlete that I have ever woken up in the middle of the night to watch play. She has only been playing for around a year and was up against people who had been playing for 20 or more. It was really exciting to see her over there, and with her coming to Adelaide with me, I hope we get to play doubles together.”

When asked about getting more people involved in BLV tennis, Comins encourages curious people to get involved.

“I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who is thinking about giving it a go. Even just buying a ball to knock against the wall. The BLV community is social, and you do improve quickly. It’s not as difficult as people might think.”

Blind tennis follows the same concepts as standard tennis, with a slightly lowered net and smaller court, lighter rackets for manoeuvrability, and different rules depending on your medical eyesight classification. The blind tennis balls are made of foam and have a rattle inside them. The different levels of eyesight classification are as follows:

● B1 – No sight, players are allowed three bounces of the ball, and nets are lowered.

● B2 – Partial sight, and players are allowed three bounces of the ball. Also there is more court to cover than B1.

● B3 – Partial sight, and players are allowed two bounces of the ball.

● B4 and B5 – Partial sight, and players are allowed one bounce of the ball.

Comins currently plays at the B1 level, which affects the technique she uses.

“After the first bounce, you split-step; the next bounce, you're moving to the ball; by the third bounce is when you're making contact. If it goes over – it’s a big celebration. Even making contact is good."

Thinking about her own future in the sport, Comins has a lot on the horizon.

“For me, I am aiming for the World Champs at the end of next year. Over 100 people participated this year, and I am working towards getting there myself next time. It’s a great goal to keep me focused on improvement.”

To learn more about Blind Sport New Zealand, click here.

To purchase audible tennis balls, click here.