Copyright 2005 The Sentinel (Stoke)
May 17, 2005
SECTION: Sport; Racquet; TennisAmateur; Pg. 52
LENGTH: 317 words
HEADLINE: Juniors set out on road to sw19
BYLINE: Tennis
BODY: A Trip to SW19 beckons juniors who take part in the national ‘Road to Wimbledon’ as teenagers strive to follow in the footsteps of Draycott and Extreme Tennis star Jamie Bourne. Last year, the youngster from Stone not only captured a dream opportunity to compete at Wimbledon, but went on to win the plate competition.
Individual club competitions for under-14s are the first step on the ‘Road to Wimbledon’, with winners earning a place in the Staffs finals in June.
The overall victorious pair are guaranteed passage into the national finals held in August at the All England Club.
Meanwhile, a bumper junior tournament programme is being promoted by Tennis Staffordshire in a bid to provide competitions for youngsters of all standards. The schedule got under way with a brace of Keltruck one-day grand prix meetings, aimed at Staffordshire’s brightest young stars.
The cream of the county’s under-10s and under-14s met on separate occasions to compete against each other, and similar events will follow next month for under-12s and 16s.
Local authorities will shortly put together teams of under-13s for the Staffordshire Youth Games at Burton upon Trent. The format at next month’s festival will involve two boys and two girls taking on opponents from other local authorities on a round-robin basis.
Later this season, points will be at stake in Tennis Staffordshire’s Fab Five programme. Results from singles matches in four sanctioned tournaments will be added to the results of the Junior County Closed in August to discover the most consistent junior players of the summer.
The Drayton Mercedes-Benz Junior County Closed is billed as the climax of the season, when titles in five age groups, ranging from under-10s to under-18s, will be up for grabs. Further details and entry forms are available from Tennis Staffordshire, telephone (01785) 811360.
