CIARAN O'DONOVAN'S election to the presidency of Tennis Ireland is a sure guarantee of continued support for the players. Although his impact on the game for over 20 years has been through administrative work, rather than as a player, he steadfastly remains a player's man.

His tenet in this regard is clear. "The players and not the officials are the backbone of any game. That's why I have always tried to make Templeogue, (hosts of this year's Irish Open) a players' tournament rather than an officials' one."

At Wimbledon and elsewhere each year, O'Donovan searches for playing talent to bolster tournaments here with "names".

"I have never claimed to be an expert on the court. I played in class four the way most people do," says the new president who takes over from Kay Stanton.

A founder member of the Irish Umpires Association, he is very pleased with the inroads made by its members at major tournaments around the world, some of whom having officiated at Grand Slam events. In successive years Fergus Murphy has umpired at the US and Australian Opens.

O'Donovan himself has pleasant memories of umpiring such greats as Yannick Noah, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova.

At 50 he is still among the youngest Tennis Ireland presidents and is also the first Templeogue official to be elevated to the association's highest office.

Unlike the hopes of his predecessors, he seems certain to have the satisfaction of being still at the helm of Irish tennis when the long over due foundation stones are being laid for the association's first indoor centre and training complex.

"The indoor tennis centre and a national headquarters of our own is a priority of Tennis Ireland," he said.

Work at his day job as chief executive officer for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) takes up most of his time. He would like to be able to give more of his time to tennis but feels reassured of Tennis Ireland's efforts to becoming more professional at its head office.

"The appointment of Des Allen as full time chief executive officers has made a very good impression with every one working with him. I think that this is the road Tennis Ireland has to go, with professionalism at the top. The days when sporting or voluntary organisations could be run by amateurs are long since gone," he said.