Super Starlings: David and Kade Starling before teaming up for a second time in the open men’s doubles event at the Kyabram Easter Tennis Tournament. They were runners-up when they played together for the first time in 2023 and finished second again this year. David and his daughter Tayla, Kade’s twin sister, successfully defended their open mixed doubles title at the tournament.
Longevity in modern day sport is a celebrated phenomenon and Kyabram has its own version of a modern-day marvel — in the tennis world.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Soon to turn 59 David Starling is continuing to rack up the titles and was again a prominent figure at Kyabram Lawn Tennis Club’s annual Easter tournament at the weekend.
He has long had onlookers shaking their heads in amazement at his ability to continue to perform at the highest level.
And there is no sign of the finish line, in fact, when most would be parking the tennis racquets in a back corner of the sports equipment closet the David Starling engine is still revving strong.
He told me last week he is actually looking to step up his preparation for the approaching Australian Masters schedule as he will be a newcomer to the 59-62 age bracket.
They say kids keep you young and in the case of the Kyabram, Echuca and Tatura tennis coach the phrase rings true — his and wife Sheree’s twin 12-year-olds serving as a daily inspiration.
At the Kyabram tournament, in fact, he played in the open men’s doubles with son Kade and in the mixed with daughter Tayla.
On Easter Monday Tayla and her father won the Easter tournament open mixed title for a second successive year, while in the men’s doubles the Starling partnership finished with the runner-up trophy for a second straight tournament.
“Last year was the first time we played together. I’d been promising Kade for years that we would do it and we won four out of five matches,” he said.
Last year the Starlings were beaten by prominent Kyabram identity Mark Schumann and his brother, in a tie-break.
Starling was quick to point out that pair was on holidays this year — and not involved in the event.
The father-son combination did, however, run into another combination that was just out of their reach.
Tayla also played in the open women’s doubles, with Rhiann Eddy from Undera, while Kade contested the B-grade singles and was runner-up with Miley Morris in the B-grade mixed event.
Back-to-back Easter titles: David and Tayla Starling after they won the Kyabram Lawn Tennis Club's Easter Tournament open mixed doubles title for a second straight year.
While the Easter tournament was the latest focus, it is only one entry on a calendar which is littered with entries for junior and — more importantly for Starling Sr — Masters tournaments.
He returned from the Australian Masters event that was held in Hobart, Tasmania in late January with another national title — winning the men’s doubles with Queenslander David Evans.
In Australia, Masters tennis starts at 30 and goes right through to super seniors — amazing 80 to 85-year-old men and women who are an inspiration for the Kyabram tennis professional of the past 20 years.
Starling explained Masters competitors faced two opponents when taking the court, the person on the other side of the net and their own body.
“Once you get into the 50s division the top five or six seeds generally finish tournaments carrying an injury of some sort,’’ he said.
“You don’t get better at this age, you can only get smarter.’’
Starling is about to graduate from the 55-58 age division to compete at the next level, pitted against men in their 60s.
Early last year he and Evans achieved the title of the number one-ranked doubles pair in the world for the 55 to 58-year-olds.
“We have played the last nine tournaments together and have won eight of those,” Starling said.
Their only loss came in the final of the Oceania championship.
Unlike the seven figure winners’ cheques that await the likes of Djokovic, Sinner and Medvedev, prizemony for Masters tennis is far from lucrative.
Starling and Evans walked away with $100 each for their national Masters victory in Tasmania. They are currently ranked five in the world in doubles.
Two or three years ago Starling shared his time between Masters singles and doubles events, ranked 16 in the world for his age division at one point.
He has passed that competitive spirit on to his children, describing son Kade as a “competitive beast” who would take a Tiddlywinks tournament seriously.
Kade and his twin, separated only by 15 minutes at birth, play netball with Girgarre together and are bound for Swan Hill during this school holidays for another tennis tournament.
Outside of school they are rarely off a court of some sort, their father not only the coach but also greenskeeper, maintenance man and committee member at Kyabram.
Their mother was also the coach of their premiership winning Girgarre netball team of 2023.
Kade is fresh from an under-12 doubles victory at Shepparton and also made the finals in the doubles and mixed at inter-regionals, hosted by Benalla Tennis Club.
District tennis fans can certainly expect to see the Starling name in the sports pages for years to game — and that includes D. Starling.
20°C