Campaign looks to future, writes Russ Williamson.
While Australian sports fans are glued to all the action courtside in Melbourne as the world's best tennis players compete in the Australian Open, Australian Made Campaign is playing its part in helping to develop the next generation of home-grown tennis stars. 
The Australian Made Foundation Cup is a joint initiative of the Australian Made Campaign and the Fed Cup Foundation and offers young children from rural and regional Australia the opportunity to compete in a national event.
The tournament was held at the Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club earlier this month as part of the Australian Made Summer of Tennis program. Children from around the country including Albany, Alice Springs, Burnie and Mildura made their way to Melbourne to represent their states.
Fed Cup Foundation president Judy Dalton says the tournament offers a unique opportunity for rising stars to gain valuable competitive experience with the best and fairest male and female players each awarded $1000 to assist with their tennis development.
"Cost and travel constraints often prevent rural and regional players from participating in high-level tennis, but the Australian Made Foundation Cup gives country children the same opportunities as their city counterparts," Ms Dalton says.
The Fed Cup Foundation is a not-for-profit body that works with Tennis Australia to promote women's tennis, specifically the international women's teams Fed Cup event. However it also runs a number of tournaments for juniors such as the annual Australian Made Foundation Cup to help youngsters further enhance their tennis experience.
The Australian Made Foundation Cup is open to players aged 13 and under that are selected from regional play-offs in each state, with a final team of four boys and four girls from each state competing in the national tournament.
Some of Australia's greatest tennis players, such as Rod Laver, Margaret Court and Pat Rafter, originated from country areas and in recent years, elite players such as Australian Open and Wimbledon Junior Champion Luke Saville and Australian Fed Cup player Jessica Moore have participated in the event.
Australia's Fed Cup captain and tennis champion Alicia Molik is the brand ambassador for the Australian Made Summer of Tennis campaign and says it celebrates home-grown athletes and local industry, highlighting the importance of supporting both to benefit all Australians.
"The Australian Made Summer of Tennis is all about ensuring a better future for Australians, particularly young Australians," Ms Molik says. "The Australian Made Foundation Cup gives kids the opportunity to participate at the highest level.
"As a mum and Australia's Fed Cup team captain, I'm proud to be part of that. As an Australian Made ambassador, I try to help educate families about the importance of buying local.
"It's important we teach our kids about where products come from, and feed them fresh Australian-grown produce so they grow up healthy."