Mini Tennis Legends head to Winter National Tour

The ten year old mini performance players from Exeter Tennis Centre qualified for the Grade Two competition following inspired performances at their regional qualifiers on 19 January.

Many of Exeter Tennis Centre’s mini performance elite graduated from the nine and under competition last year – and are already fitting in well to the higher age group. The squad dominated the qualifier event, making up 60% of the entrants.

Emily, who attends Trinity School in Teignmouth and is currently ranked sixth in the UK in the national rankings, overcame strong competition to secure her place in the finals, whilst fellow Exeter Tennis Centre players Jessica Hill (who finished fourth overall), Isobel Rutter (Maynard’s School) and Lauren McGuinness also played exceptionally well.

Emily will now head to the Gosling Centre, Hertfordshire, for the national event, which will pit her against the best young players in the country.

Exeter’s boys faired even better in their qualifiers, blocking out the top three spots. Bude’s Louis Davey just edged fellow Wimbledon exhibitionist, and the programme’s longest standing player, Matthew Rutter (Exeter School) to victory in the final, with Daniel Mountford (St Sidwell’s) finishing third.

Louis, the British number 10, travels to the centre from his native Cornwall twice a week to receive expert coaching from Exeter High Performance Manager Charlotte Wallace who commented: “This has been a brilliant competition for us showcasing our talent and quality. Emily and Louis both played exceptionally well, but across the board was a tournament of standout performances for us.

“As a wild card entry who normally plays in the age group below, Jed Platts (Woodbury Salterton), did exceptionally well to finish sixth and Jess Hill also put in a great performance.

“It was a gripping final between Louis and Matt. It is a shame that only one of them could go through as they both have the ability to compete on the National Circuit.

“It is brilliant that Exeter continues to be represented at the top level of mini-tennis. Emily and Louis will face some tough competition in Nationals, but are seasoned veterans on the national stage now and have both proven that they can win at this level. If they stay focussed and work hard I think that they both have a brilliant opportunity to start 2014 on a high.”