Wilson-Baig mixes it with top names at Wimbledon
Halifax’s Euan Wilson-Baig siad he will never forget his outing at the All England Club after starring in front of former British No.1 Tim Henman in the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 & Under Challenge Finals. The 14-year-old Brooksbank School Sports College pupil booked himself a spot at SW19 after competing in his regional finals and won two group matches before being knocked out in the first round of the Boys main draw.
Some 20,000 promising young tennis players from all over Britain competed in pursuit of a prestigious place at Wimbledon with WilsonBaig among the top 144 boys and girls.
And, despite failing to follow in 2013 Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray’s footsteps by lifting silverware, WilsonBaig admitted his outing at the All England was certainly the highlight of his summer.
“I was there last year and enjoyed it immensely so I was so pleased to be able to have another opportunity,” saidWilson-Baig.
“It was such a great experience once again. When I found out I was one of the lucky losers to get in I was going crazy, running around screaming, because this tournament means so much to me.
“Even though I knew what to expect, it was just as special to play at Wimbledon. I went to watch the professionals practise and to be back playing on the same courts as them was just awesome.”
Wilson-Baig, who trains at Queens Sports Club, even got the chance to meet former British No.1 and HSBC Tournament Ambassador Henman while playing at Wimbledon.
Henman spent time with the players, signed autographs, and posed for photos with the finalists and insisted he was impressed with the standard on show this year at SW19.
“I’ve been involved for the 12 years of the programme and it’s fantastic to see how the standard has improved,” said Henman, a four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist.
“There are kids that are going to want to play tournaments and compete at a higher level and this is a great stepping stone, to have this experience and learn from the match-play and competition.”
The HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 & Under Challenge is the UK’s largest national junior grass court tournament and forms part of HSBC’s investment in the stars of the future - www.hsbcroadtowimbledon.com Halifax’s Lidia Burrows has made the draw of the 16U girls’ singles event at the Nike Junior National Tennis Championships at Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Lidia will be up against some of the best players in the country as they all battle for the most prestigious accolade in national junior tennis.
The tournament features more than 250 players across four age groups and is a showcase for British tennis and the best junior talent in the country.
The Nike Junior Nationals have been running for over 100 years and has an illustri- ous line of past winners including Andy Murray, Heather Watson, Tim Henman, Elena Baltacha, and Anne Keothavong.
Shanti Patel, the Tournament Director said: “The Nike Junior Nationals are the highest level of domestic competition for any British junior player.
“The standard of competition is always high and offers a great opportunity for players to test their abilities against the very best in their age group in the country.”
Richard Callaway, the Nike UK Sports Marketing Director added: “We are delighted to support the pinnacle of junior competition which are the Nike Junior National Tennis Championships.
“The young players competing in Nottingham and Bournemouth are the future of the sport in Britain and we look forward to seeing some fine tennis.”
The tournament, which finishes today, is held simultaneously at the Nottingham Tennis Centre and the West Hants Club, Bournemouth.
For more information on the tournament go to http:// www.lta.org.uk/players-parents/Competition/Nike-Junior-Nationals/Home/