A member of the Campaspe Tennis Association, Higgins was a protege of Flo Allan's coaching as so many local players were.
Higgins grew up in the Deni District and from eight years of age was a participant in the Deniliquin Lawn Tennis Club Junior program coached by Allan.
He quickly learned the game, and in the 11 years from 1985 was the Deniliquin Lawn Tennis Champion seven times.
Higgins was successful in winning the Western Riverina Championship on three occasions in 1983, ‘88 and ‘89.
Since moving to Barham for work, he was playing for the Koondrook club then in 2002 he moved to Echuca and played for Echuca Lawn Tennis Club.
Then when it joined up with South Club to form the Echuca Tennis Club, Higgins continued on his winning way.
He has been a member of teams winning in the Greater Goulburn Lawn Tennis Association and won Echuca Club Championships in 2004 and 2017.
He also won the ETC aggregate in 2020 and 2021.
Higgins played Country Week Tennis often over the last 30 years and won his section once with his brother Jim.
Like many of the top players, Higgins was involved in junior tennis, running the comp in Echuca for six years.
He was secretary for 10 years and heavily involved in ETC Easter Tournament.
Deniliquin Lawn Tennis Club joins with ETC president Chris Potter in congratulating Higgins on his nomination as a Life Member.
So well deserved.
“Phil has made an enormous contribution to our club on and off the court, his legacy is on our walls and his fingerprints are all over the way our club has evolved and moved forward to be one of the largest clubs in the area,” Echuca Lawn Tennis Club said.
“I am yet to find someone that has a bad word to say about Phil, and he is held in very high esteem with whomever I have spoken to.
“He is honest, fair, determined on and off the court but most of all humble, one of nature’s true gentleman,“ they concluded.”
In 130 years of history with the Echuca Lawn Tennis Club and 45 years of history with the Echuca South Tennis Club, there have been 28 Life Memberships awarded.
Not since Alan Martin for lawn or Brian Richardson for south has there been a first Life Member.
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