Aisha Hirse, who’s been in Australia on officiating duty since January 6, shares her experience from the past few days.
The Nigerian officiated as a line umpire at the Canberra Challenger in Bendigo from 6-11 January and has said umpiring at the Challenger Tour level is a “different ball game.”
Hirse, who officiated as a line umpire in 24 matches in Bendigo, says the orderliness in which officiating is conducted and the responsibilities of a service line umpire which includes measuring the net at the end of each set and making ball changes, as against only calling the line which she’s mostly used to, have been an eye opener.
Hirse will leave for Melbourne on Sunday in preparation for the Tweed Heads International Wheelchair Tennis Open. The White Badge official will also be at the Traralgon Junior International and the Australian Open Junior qualifiers before officiating at the Burnie Challengers, which will be her final event in Australia.
She will move to Finland in February for the Fed Cup, where she’ll serve as a chair umpire at the Europe/Africa Zone Group II in Helsinki from 4-7 February before returning to Nigeria on the 9th of February.
